This content is part of a paid partnership with Carers WA.
Are family and friends of hospital patients prepared to care?
The Prepare to Care (PTC) Hospital Program from Carers WA offers free support and information to carers during and after their loved one’s hospital stay.
Hospitals currently hosting the program receive free Carers WA resources, including the PTC book, a comprehensive resource with an A to Z directory of supports and services.
The PTC book is now updated to cover paediatric and mental health. Other resources cover acquired brain injury, critical care, dementia, palliative care, supported accommodation, stroke and hospital admission.
A carer is someone who provides unpaid care and support to a family member or friend who has a disability, mental health challenge, chronic condition, terminal illness, an alcohol or other drug issue, or who is frail aged.
Many family members or friends play a pivotal role in the ongoing care of a loved one, after a hospital stay, often without recognising themselves as a carer. If they provide assistance, beyond what is typically expected of a spouse, parent, sibling or friend, they are a carer.
Carers often experience a mix of emotions, including fear, grief, anxiety, sadness and resentment, which can strain their relationship with the person they care for.
It’s crucial for carers to recognise their own physical and emotional limits and know that support is available.
The PTC program aims to identify, engage, include and support family and friend carers within WA’s health system. It is currently successfully running in 21 hospitals across WA, with another major hospital about to launch.
Carers WA provides education and support to hospital staff on recognising and supporting carers in their daily practice and information on its free supports and services.
This assists the Department of Health and all public hospitals to comply with the Carers Recognition Act (2004) WA and the Carers Charter.
This legislation formally recognises carers as key partners in the delivery of care. It provides a means for carers to be involved in the assessment, planning, delivery and review of services that impact them and the caring toll.
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It also allows carers to make a complaint about how they are treated and involved in decision making processes.
Carers WA Program Manager Sean Gardyne said: “Carers are not visitors in the patient journey, they are partners in care. Preparing family members and friends to care after a hospital stay is essential to safe, person-centred care beyond the hospital setting.
“When carers are informed, supported and included, outcomes improve—not just for patients, but for the entire health system.”
Types of support Carers WA can provide include:
- Opportunity for carers to take a break via regular in-person support groups in metro and regional locations
- Advice, information and resources to connect carers to relevant services
- Workshops and courses to assist carers in returning to the workforce and improving their health and wellbeing
- Advocacy for improved services and supports by addressing carer issues at state and federal levels and providing training for carers to participate in government committees and use their lived experience to amplify the voice of carers in the community
- Support for young carers through community education, one-on-one needs assessments, peer support toolkits and events.
Carers WA is a not for profit, registered charity. The PTC team is here to help and are very mindful of challenges within hospitals, such as time constraints and heavy workloads which can make carer education difficult to prioritise.
For more information about Carers WA, including the Prepare to Care Hospital Program, or to refer a carer visit their website here.
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