Informal carers feel a lack of support now more than ever

Shutterstock_440621344
New survey results emphasise the need for more support for unpaid carers. [Source: Shutterstock]

Informal carers feel less satisfied with their access to carer support compared to professional carers and are reporting record lows in personal well-being and mental health, a survey has found.

Australian Unity has released its latest Well-being Index survey report in partnership with Deakin University which found Australians remain extremely dissatisfied with their lives overall but informal carers are experiencing particularly high levels of mental distress, particularly those providing informal care for more than 20 hours per week.

Conducted in June 2023, the survey measured the subjective well-being of over 2,000 Australians aged 18 to 97 against a series of national and personal life areas, including the economy, health, and community connectedness. 

On the National Well-being Index, scores for most life areas remained at the lower end of the normal range. However, economic satisfaction recorded a sharp drop to its lowest level in 22 years – worse than that recorded during the Global Financial Crisis in 2008.

Those aged 55 years and under and those with a household income of $100,000 or less recorded notably lower personal well-being than older adults and those with higher household incomes, respectively. These same age and income divides were also seen on satisfaction with standard of living.

Doctor Kate Lycett, Research Fellow from the School of Psychology at Deakin University and lead researcher of the Australian Unity Well-being Index said informal carers who cared for more than 20 hours a week recorded notably lower personal well-being and higher levels of mental distress compared to those in professional caring and non-caring roles. 

“Those with a caring load of 40 hours or more seemed to be doing even worse,” she said. 

On the growing demand for professional caring services to help improve the well-being of those caring in an informal capacity, Prue Bowden, Australian Unity’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Home Health, said workforce supply for professional carers has been a key issue in Australia for many years now.

She said, “In order for the care workforce to grow, we need to professionalise the work and shift the community mindset from being an unskilled job to one of the most rewarding careers.” 

To help combat this crisis, the Federal Government announced a range of promising initiatives to support Australia’s informal carers last month, allocating almost $6 million over the next three years to help some of our most dedicated community members.

Key initiatives announced by the Government include the creation of a National Carer Strategy, a new Carer Inclusive Workplace Initiative to better support carers in the workforce, and a two-year extension for the Carer Gateway portal.

The 2023 Australian Unity Wellbeing Index report can be viewed here.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  1. Have just read the companion article regarding gifts for lonely people in Care Homes. What about a programme to provide gifts for the unpaid carers who are slogging it out on their own? A facial, hairdo, manicure, massage, pack of lovely toiletries, just to make them feel that they are appreciated by our society for the care services that they provide.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Azy crowned an Aged Care Angel: “Seeing the residents’ smiles just makes me happy”

Azy was recently recognised by the wider community for her dedication and Relationship-First Approach to the residents. Read More

After five decades of care, this passionate nurse calls it a day!

Dedicated aged care Enrolled Nurse (EN) Cathy Buick has retired after an amazing 54 years of service, but her career was 100 years in the making stretching back to a village in Scotland. Read More

97-year-old’s carer avoids deportation after minister intervenes

Only weeks before she was due to be deported, the American carer of a 97-year-old war veteran has been allowed to remain in Australia. Henrietta Santiago, who is 76 years old, has cared for Louis Smit for the last four years, but her visa was due to expire in a matter of weeks. After numerous... Read More
Advertisement