Visit Carers NSW website for the
latest news, comment, training and events at Carers NSW.
Also see the NSW Carers Action Plan 2007-2012 which commits NSW Government agencies to recognise, respect and value the role that carers play in the community.
National
Carers Australia research - The economic value of informal care in 2010
The replacement cost of the care provided by Australia's 2.9 million carers is a staggering $40.9 billion, amounting to 3.2% of GDP and 60% of other formal health care. This is the finding of research commissioned by Carers Australia for Carers Week 2010 and undertaken by Access Economics. It updates data from Access Economic's 2005 research. Since then, there has been a significant increase in the value of informal care provided by Australia's carers because, among other factors, the replacement cost of formal care has increased. The data is nationally-focused and demonstrates that unpaid family carers have become a precious resource in an ageing population with increasing incidence of disability. Read the report.
National Carer Strategy Consultations
The Australian Government has released a discussion paper to inform the development of a National Carer Strategy and will be consulting with carers and service providers throughout October and November 2010. Carers are encouraged to contribute written responses to the discussion paper or by participating in consultations which will be run by Carers Australia. See the Carers Australia website for more information. The Australian Government has also begun consultations on the National Disability Strategy. Read more.
Carer Recognition Act 2010
Carer Recognition legislation passed through the Australian Parliament on 28 October. "While the bill does not establish carers' rights, it is a significant step forward in ensuring that carers have the same opportunities to enjoy optimum health and well being and social and economic participation as do other Australians" said CEO Carers Australia, Joan Hughes. Read the media release. Download the legislation and view the Minister's media release. For a detailed analysis of the legislation go to the Australian Parliamentary Library Bills Digest website.
The legislation and the National Carer Strategy is central to the Australian Government's response to the 2009 report Who Cares? Report on the inquiry into better support for carers. Other responses to the report included income support increases for carers.
Carers and the Gillard Government
After the Australian Government August 2010 election, Senator Jan McLucas has been appointed the Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Carers with Senator Mitch Fifield promoted to Shadow Minister for Disabilities, Carers and the Voluntary Sector. Mark Butler takes on Mental Health and Ageing in the new Gillard Government.
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New
South Wales
Carers Week 2010 in NSW
National Carers Week took place from Sunday 17 to Saturday 23 October this year with the theme Anyone, anytime can become a carer. NSW Local Carer Awards were announced during the celebrations. More than a hundred awards were presented to carers, carer support groups and organisations that support carers. See the list of award winners. For more information about the events at Carers Week, go to the website and read the calendar of events. For a tribute to carers during Carers Week, read the comments made in the Australian Parliament after a motion was put to recognise carers.
Disability rally at the Opera House
Ongoing funding for the Stronger Together initiative is not in the forward estimates of the NSW State Budget and the current funding runs out on 30 June 2011. A rally was organised for Thursday 28 October to demonstrate the support for continued disability planning. Read more.
Carer life course online information and support for carers
Carers NSW with funding from NSW Health has developed online information for people learning about caring for the first time. The phases of caring are highlighted and discussed to give carers an insight into the progress of the emotional aspects of their caring role. The phases move from noticing that something is wrong, then confirmation of the illness or condition. The carer than moves through phases of adjustment and purposeful coping. The end of the caring role and self-care are also examined. Visit the website.
Carers NSW 2011 Biennial Conference
The conference aims to bring together health and community care professionals, service providers, researchers and NSW Government agencies to provide an opportunity to explore practices and ideas, research and initiatives in carer support. The call for papers has now begun. To submit an abstract online, visit this site.
When: Thursday 17 and Friday 18 March 2011
Where: Novotel, Brighton-le-Sands, Sydney
Details: website
Understanding and supporting carers - Carers NSW in-house training
Carers NSW is offering free training tailored for service providers from government and non-government services. It is a half-day, interactive education session focusing on identifying who carers are, how the caring role impacts on them and how to support them.
When: Wednesday 17 November 2010 and other 2011 dates
Where: Carers NSW, Campbell Street, Sydney
Details: flyer
Choral therapy - Sydney Gay and Lesbian Choir and Spooky Men's Chorale
Two choirs perform giving a voice to the experience of living with mental illness. Tickets cost $30 with concession tickets available.
When: Saturday 30 October 2010
Where: Marrickville Town Hall
Details: flyer
NSW Rural and Remote Health conference - Many paths to follow
The second conference of its kind in NSW, following on from the popular inaugural conference held in Coffs Harbour in 2008, is being held in Albury. It will provide insight into emerging models of care and best practice, new directions for the rural and remote health workforce and opportunities to improve Aboriginal Health.
When: Thursday 4 and Friday 5 November 2010
Where: Albury Entertainment Centre, Albury NSW
Details: website
Adult Mental Health First Aid for Aboriginal carers and families
South Eastern Sydney Illawarra Family and Carer Mental Health will present this two-day education program to assist Aboriginal carers helping people with mental health conditions ranging from depression, substance abuse to schizophrenia. Applications for this free course close 5 November.
When: Wednesday 10 and Tuesday 16 November 2010
Where: Nowra
Details: flyer
Young carer/sibling family day
EduCare, based in Newcastle, is holding a family day for young carers and their families in mid-November. It will take the form of a free BBQ sausage sizzle with entertainment.
When: Saturday 13 November 2010
Where: Speers Point Park
Details: flyer
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Anglicare's survey on older parent carers
Research released by Anglicare Sydney during Carers Week, shows that ageing parent carers of adult children are exhausted. Care to live or live to care? provides an insight into the experiences of parent carers prior to entering Anglicare Sydney's Support Coordination Program. Three hundred carers were surveyed. The survey found that, one in five is older than 80 years. More than 80% of older parent carers in the survey were women and just over one third of carers have been in a caring role for over 40 years. Read more. Carers Australia estimate that 454,000 persons aged 65 and over are carers in Australia. Read more.
In from the edge
This tenth report from Anglicare Australia on the state of the family indicates that more Australians are struggling with basic costs of living such as rent, education and power bills. It is a collection of six essays on poverty written by those on the front lines of care. Read the essays.
Brian and Norm - a love story
ABC Radio National 360 has produced an award winning program about a couple in old age where one had to be cared for in an aged care home. Brian and Norm had been together for 50 years and separation caused more than loneliness. Read more about the program on the ABC website and view the documentary on YouTube.
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A
Closing the transport gap: meeting the needs of the transport disadvantaged
The Combined Pensioners and Superannuants Association addresses transport concerns of older people, people with a disability and people with mobility difficulties across NSW in a report released this month stating that "whether by public or private means, transport is fundamental in ensuring access to services and supports participation in civil society." Read the report. A recent survey by the NRMA has found that 42 per cent of respondents do not use public transport and two-thirds of people aged 60 to 70 have given no thought to how they would get around if they could not drive. Read the media release.
Challenges facing an ageing population
The National Seniors Australia (NSA) Chief Executive addressed the National Press Club in September on the issue of challenges presented by an ageing population. NSA acknowledges that there will be implications for society in having a large proportion of the population over 65 years of age but that there will also be positive aspects that should not be ignored. Read the transcript.
New assumptions in aged care
The Council on the Ageing (COTA) has called for a new blueprint in aged care which allows for greater independence. The mechanisms to do this should occur through:
- support and care primarily at home and in the community (not primarily in aged care residences)
- allowing older Australians in need of care an automatic entitlement and simple gateways into the system
- providing choice and control over what support they receive
The ideas are summarised in a speech by the Chief Executive, Ian Yates. The blueprint is set out in COTA's submission to the Productivity Commission Inquiry into Care of Older Australians.
Access Economics report - The future of aged care in Australia
To inform the debate about the aged care system in Australia, National Seniors has commissioned a report from Access Economics on the future of aged care in Australia. The report covers current issues in aged care such as quality of care, infrastructure requirements and alternative models of funding. Read the report.
Aged and Community Services Australia (ACSA) welcomes new minister
ACSA has welcomed the appointment of Mark Butler as Australian Government Minister for Mental Health and Aging,
citing his experience as Parliamentary Secretary for health as a good introduction to aged care issues. Read the media release.
Disability Council
calls for new Chair and members
The Disability Council of NSW advises the NSW Minister for Disability Services. The Minister is calling for applications from interested people who would like to join the Council and help shape policy on issues affecting people with disability and their families. Applications close at 5pm Friday 19 November 2010. For more details, go to the Disability Council website.
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New report estimates 129,000 unpaid carers unable to work
Access Economics report, The economic value of informal care in 2010, estimates that 129,000 unpaid family carers are unable to participate in the paid workforce due to their caring responsibilities.
This is the finding of research commissioned by Carers Australia for Carers Week 2010. Read the report or a media release Carers Australia.
Employers seek shortened shifts
An employer peak body is appearing before Fair Work Australia seeking to have minimum shift work periods
reduced. This will enable employers to engage workers for shorter shifts arguing that these conditions are more likely to appeal to students, mature-age workers and carers. Read more.
Carers benefit from increase in pensions
People eligible for the Carer Payment benefited from increases to pensions from Monday 20 September 2010 under the Australian Government's new indexed pension arrangements. Read more. The pension payment reforms have been welcomed by community groups.
Immediately after the pension increases were announced, the NSW Government announced an upward creep in social housing rents. Single pensioners in social housing in NSW were to have their rents increased in line with the pension rise, causing some consternation in community groups and condemned by the NSW Opposition. A request from the Australian Government to forego the rent rises has been accommodated. Read the media release.
Electricity and gas price website
A new website that compares the prices offered by electricity and gas retailers is now available in NSW. Customers can use their electricity and gas bills to find the cheapest energy supplier by calculating online price figures comparing offers from gas and electricity retailers. Visit the website which is maintained by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal. This website is for residential and small business energy customers.
Carers
and legal issues
Special Disability Trusts
This month the Australian Government introduced legislation
to give families and carers of people with severe disability improved access to trusts for the purposes of providing for family members. Go to the 'Chronic conditions, illnesses and disabilities' section of the e-bulletin for more detail.
Bus company in court
A Sydney woman has taken a bus company to court after being denied access to a bus on the grounds that it was not wheelchair-accessible. The Public Interest Advocacy Centre is acting on behalf of Julia Haraksin who tried to book a seat on a Murrays coach from Sydney to Canberra to attend a work conference. Federal disability standards require transport providers to have at least 25 per cent of their vehicles wheelchair-accessible. Murrays has claimed that modifications would cause the company undue hardship. Read more.
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Special Disability Trusts
This month the Australian Government introduced legislation
to give families and carers of people with severe disability improved access to trusts for the purposes of providing for family members.
People with disability will be able to work up to seven hours a week and still qualify as a beneficiary of a trust. The Trust will be able to pay for the beneficiary's medical expenses, including membership costs for private health funds and the maintenance expenses of assets and properties. The Trust will be able to spend up to $10,000 in a financial year on discretionary items not related to care and accommodation needs of the beneficiary. The trusts also attract generous social security means test concessions for the beneficiary and eligible contributors. Read the media release and follow the debate in the Australian Parliament.
Inquiry into Disability Care and Support
- Australian Productivity Commission
The Productivity Commission continues its deliberations on a national disability insurance scheme and other matters concerning the care of Australians with disability. The Network of
Carers Associations has presented evidence at the public hearings of the Commission and brought to the attention of the Commission the need to focus on the wider family context of those living with disability. Follow the proceedings.
National Australian Disability Parking Permit in NSW
Since September, people with disability in NSW have benefited from the introduction of the new national Australian Disability Parking Permit. State and Territory disability parking permits have been harmonised to ensure that the permits are recognised around Australia. The Australian Disability Parking Permit will replace over 100 types of existing permits currently issued by state, territory and local governments across Australia. NSW applicants have been able to apply for the parking permit from Monday 20 September while around 328,000 existing NSW permit holders have already been mailed the new permit. Read more and apply for the permit.
CareSearch - palliative care website
Most Australians who are terminally ill spend most of the last year of their lives at home. This would not be possible without the contribution of carers. A new website helps provide information and resources for patients, carers and their families. Visit the site.
Dementia services in NSW
The NSW Government released the NSW Dementia Services Framework 2010-2015 recently. For comment by Carers NSW on the document, visit this link.
Disability employment services - carers views
Research into disability employment services in Australia is being undertaken by Australian National University (ANU) in collaboration with The Brotherhood of St Laurence. The research aims to provide information about how the funding and administration of employment service providers affects the quality of services provided to job seekers. Researchers are keen to obtain the views of carers to add another dimension to information gathered from job seekers. A short anonymous online survey has been developed which is available on a secure site at the ANU. All information gathered will be held on password protected computers or in locked cabinets at the ANU. Results of the survey will be published in late 2011.
NSW Companion Card
A young woman from Western Sydney is the 8,000th person to receive a NSW Companion Card. The card is issued by the NSW Government to people in NSW who have a severe permanent disability and are unable to participate in community activities without significant assistance from a carer. The card allows their carer free entry to events as they accompany the card holder. Read more about the Companion Card.
ABC online disability gateway
The ABC is building a website for people living with disability, a place for their issues and stories. Before the website is launched the ABC wants to hear from those with ideas about how this site should work – its content, its functions, its name. To send the ABC your ideas, visit this site.
New portfolios held by Australian Government Ministers
Senator Jan McLucas has been appointed Australian Government Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Carers, with Senator Mitch Fifield promoted to Shadow Minister for Disabilities, Carers and the Voluntary Sector. To gain an insight into the issues that concern the new Minister and Shadow Minister, read their comments during a meeting held at Parliament House, Canberra, recently. The subject discussed is 'supported accommodation'. Go to page 24 of the document.
Quality of care in supported accommodation
Failure to provide quality of life care in supported accommodation must not be justified with the argument 'lack of funds', according to those who promote the 'active support model'.
Consumer Directed Respite Care
The Australian Government
has signed the first contract allowing carers to select respite services of their choice. Carers receive a budget of $4,200 to go towards their chosen respite service. Read more about this initiative.
Brain tumour patients and their carers
The Brain Tumour Alliance (BTAA) and beyondblue have developed a resource to help promote awareness of signs and symptoms of depression and anxiety in people living with brain tumours. Read more.
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New mental health workforce standards
Multicultural Mental Health Australia has been instrumental in developing new standards to form part of the National Cultural Competency Tool for Mental Health Services. The guidelines are intended for mental health service providers to use in order to ensure that their workforce is culturally competent. This in turn will open access to CALD mental health consumers and their families. Read the document.
Journal article
A carer's perspective: caring for a son who won't be cared for
A 75 year old Greek woman describes her experiences as the mother of an Australian born son with mental illness. The story details medication refusal and constant encounters with the law. The article appears in Synergy, the magazine of Multicultural Mental Health Australia, page 12.
Dementia day care support for Asian community
Funding has been made available to the Australian Nursing Home Foundation, the largest Chinese aged care organisation in Australia, for dementia-specific day care for clients from Chinese and South East Asian communities. The funds are intended for the Inner West and South West Sydney areas and are delivered through the Home and Community Care program. Read the media release.
Multiculturalism: a review
of Australian policy statements and recent debates in Australia and overseas
The Australian Parliamentary Library has compiled a snapshot of public policy and debate on the issue of multiculturalism. The discussion has international resonance. View the discussion paper.
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NSW Government accused of lack of transparency on hospitals performance
Poorly maintained hospital data and hidden statistics form part of recent accusations levelled at the
NSW Minister for Health, Carmel Tebbutt. Read the Sydney Morning Herald article.
Anti-Poverty Week and oral health
Anti-Poverty Week was held at the
same time as Carers Week this year and the Australian Dental Association spoke out about the link between poverty and poor health, including poor dental health. Without teeth in good condition, quality of life is compromised. Read the media release.
Health lies in wealth
This Catholic Health Care report finds that socio-economic status above all else is the main determinant of individual health outcomes. Household income, level of education, household employment, housing tenure and social connectedness all affect health. This finding comes as no surprise to those familiar with the issues and has continuing implications for health policy. Read the report.
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A profile of social housing in Australia
This report, written by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, profiles social housing delivered under a 2003 agreement between the Australian Government and the States. By the end of 2008, over 400,000 dwellings each year were provided for households in need. Social housing tenants report being satisfied due to housing affordability and security of tenure. Read the report.
Improving service delivery to Aboriginal people with a disability
A guide to working with Koori clients was developed by the NSW Department of Human Services, Ageing, Disability and Home Care in 2005. The NSW Ombudsman has reported to the NSW Parliament on the effectiveness of the guidelines. A number of positive results have been identified by the Ombudsman but further recommendations have been made. These include employing more Aboriginal local support coordinators to link people to the services they need, embedding flexibility in service delivery, and strengthening overall accountability of the Department's work to enhance outcomes for Aboriginal people. Read the report.
National guide to preventive health assessment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
This guide, first published in 2005, is currently being reviewed by the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation and the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. The 2nd edition of the National Guide will provide general practitioners and other health professionals with current evidence-based recommendations for preventive health care for their Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients suffering, or at risk of, chronic disease.
In September 2010, an online user survey to obtain feedback about the current national guide was conducted, to assist the project reference group to make decisions about format, content and publication of the 2nd edition of the national guide. In October, a team of expert writers led by Dr David Peiris, the Clinical Lead, will commence reviewing evidence and updating their topic area. The project will consider ways of sustaining future editions of the national guide and will conclude in March 2011. Anticipated publication date is November 2011. For more information contact Jill Dixon on 03 8699 0486 or email.
David Unaipon College of Indigenous Education and Research
The David Unaipon College of Indigenous Education and Research sits within the Division of Education, Arts and Social Sciences at the University of South Australia. It offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate programs in Aboriginal Studies and Australian Studies and is becoming an important research hub for Indigenous academics. At present the College is on a drive to attract more students and invites interested people to contact the College with a view to undertaking study in a range of courses outlined in the College brochure.
Adult mental health first aid for Aboriginal carers and families
South Eastern Sydney Illawarra Family and Carer Mental Health is presenting a two-day education program to assist Aboriginal carers. Applications for this free course close 5 November. Contact details are contained on this flyer.
Dictionary of anatomy - Dharuk Mala ga Mayali' Rumbalpuy
It is well known that different language
groups have different concepts of health. For instance, research by Carers NSW indicated that recent arrivals from China held views on mental health that mainstream health services in Australia are generally unaware of.
Similarly, people who belong to Aboriginal language groups may also hold health concepts different to the mainstream. This can lead to poor health service delivery and less than optimal health care for Aboriginal people. A new dictionary devised by the Aboriginal Resource Development Service (ARDS) in the Northern Territory attempts to overcome health miscommunication. A "stroke", for instance, does not mean "soothing a sick person" in mainstream health care. Read more.
Tackling indigenous smoking
Smoking is a major contributor to the 17-year life expectancy gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. Despite recent declines in smoking rates, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people still smoke at twice the rate of Australians generally. Reducing smoking rates is an extremely effective way of narrowing the health gap and has been part of the Close the Gap Campaign for Indigenous Health Equality since 2006. Read Giving up the smokes in the most recent edition of Indigenous Newslines. Go to page 5.
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National Mental Health Consumer and Carer Forum (NMHCCF) report
Consumers and carers are increasingly being employed – particularly in mental health services – as peer support workers, advocates, consultants, research officers, experts and advisors. However they are not being properly supported, according to a report released in September by the NMHCCF. Entitled Position Statement: Supporting and developing the mental health consumer and carer identified workforce – a strategic approach to recovery, the publication is part of the NMHCCF's continued work towards a mental health system where consumers and carers are true partners in their own health care. Read the report.
The 80:20 rule
David Braniff is typical of many in the mental health workforce in that he is also a consumer of mental health services as someone who lives with schizophrenia. He believes that only 20 per cent of the difficulties created by mental illness result from the physical symptoms of the illness. The remaining impacts are caused by
isolation, poor housing, health and career prospects. The latter are potentially preventable. His story is available in the most recent edition of SANE News.
National Standards for Mental Health Services
National standards for mental health services 2010 outlines a set of mental health service standards which can be applied to all mental health services, including government, non-government and private sectors across Australia. Read the section that relates to carers.
A poster competition has begun to promote the new standards. The competition closes on 1 December 2010 with the winners announced at the February 2011 Mental Health Services Conference. Read more.
Cultural competency in the mental health workforce
Multicultural Mental Health Australia (MMHA) has been instrumental in developing the National Cultural Competency Tool for Mental Health Services to form part of new National Standards for Mental Health, as above. The guidelines are intended for mental health service providers to ensure that their workforce is culturally competent. Read the document.
Journal article
A carer's perspective: caring for a son who won't be cared for
A 75 year old Greek woman describes her experiences as the mother of an Australian born son with mental illness. The story details medication refusal and constant encounters with the law. The article appears in Synergy, the magazine of Multicultural Mental Health Australia.
Falling through the cracks
Australia's Ombudsman has examined social service delivery to people with a mental illness, with particular emphasis on the social security system of payments and services. "'A recurring theme in complaints to us are about the activities that a person has to undertake to maintain eligibility for payment and communication arrangements which don't adequately take into account the limitations posed by the customer's illness,' the Ombudsman said. It recommends greater consideration of a client's barriers to communication, more training for staff and encouraging clients to disclose a mental illness. Read the report.
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Australian social trends
Raw statistics on Australian society are now available from the Australian Bureau of Statistics up to 2009. They cover aspects of Australian life including health, employment, family life and education and training. Read the snapshot.
Women's Day for carers
During September, the radio broadcaster Alan Jones guest edited Women's Day's Care for carers edition available online.
Young carer issues to be considered by the Carers Advisory Council
The Carers Advisory Council, a new body to be established under the NSW Carers (Recognition) Act 2010, will consider how young carers can be better supported and engaged, according to the NSW Minister for Disability Services and Minister for Youth, Peter Primrose. Read the media release.
Young carers on ABC TV - Helping the helpers
A program describing an innovative program for young carers went to air on the 7.30 Report on 6 October. The program, supported by the University of Western Sydney and Anglicare, provides academic tutors for young carers so that their caring role impacts less on their education. Read the transcript or view the TV program.
Protecting Australia's children research audit 1995-2010
The Australian Institute of Family Studies has been commissioned to conduct an audit of Australian research and evaluation projects undertaken in the last 15 years relating to the protection of children. In partnership with the Social Policy Research Centre, the project is collating the information through questionnaire. The questionnaire runs until 2 November 2010 and takes approximately 20-30 minutes to complete. Visit the site.
Sometimes life sucks: when someone you love dies
This new Australian book is written by an educator and palliative care nurse. It aims to help teenagers deal with death of a loved one. Read more.
Online art gallery by young carers
Carers NSW runs a number of camps for young carers each year. The young carers who attend
the camps produce art works with the encouragement of the young carer team and volunteers. These works are now available for viewing in an online art gallery. Visit this site. Three of the works have been published as postcards. Read more details.
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