This content is part of a paid partnership with Carers WA.
A hospital stay and supporting ongoing care can place huge pressure on carers, but a resource from Carers WA aims to help those in caring positions navigate an often tricky process.
A carer is someone who provides unpaid care and support to a family member or friend who has disability, mental health challenge, chronic condition, terminal illness, an alcohol or other drug issue, or who is frail aged.
The Carers WA Prepare to Care (PTC) Hospital Program offers free support and information to carers during and after their loved one’s hospital stay.
Often family members or friends play an enormous role in the life and ongoing care of a loved one. While often people do not know or choose to identify themselves as a carer, if they are providing more assistance than a spouse, parent, sibling or friend normally would then they are a carer.
It’s normal for carers to experience a range of feelings and emotions including fear, grief, anxiety, sadness and resentment, which places strain on the relationship with the person they care for. Carers need to recognise their own physical and emotional limits.
The main aim of the PTC program is to promote the identification, engagement, inclusion and support of carers within the WA health system.
As part of the program, Carers WA provides education and support to hospital staff in identification and support of carers within daily practice and information on our 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 and also allows carers to make a complaint about how they are treated and involved in decision making processes.
Hospitals hosting the PTC program receive free Carers WA resources, including PTC books. Resources are restocked regularly, making sure the clinical areas have books available for carers who are identified.
Head of Service Delivery for Carers WA Caroline Horlock said: “Our Prepare to Care Hospital Program has been created to support WA’s health workers in further understanding the needs of unpaid carers and the importance of carer identification. Carers WA helps carers in any caring situation.”
Types of support Carers WA can provide include:
- An opportunity to take a break from the caring role through a range of regular in-person support groups in metro and regional locations
- Providing advice information and resources to link carers to relevant services
- Facilitating informative workshops and courses to assist carers to return to the workforce and increase their health and wellbeing
- Advocating for improved services and supports for carers by addressing carer issues at a State and Federal level and providing training for carers to participate in government committees and to use their lived experience to reference the voice of carers in the community
- Providing support to young carers through community education, one-on-one needs assessment, peer support toolkits and young carer events and activities.
PTC is successfully running in 24 hospitals across WA, including some regional and most metro areas.
Carers WA is a not for profit, registered charity. The PTC team at Carers WA is here to help. The team is very mindful of the challenges within hospitals, such as time constraints and heavy workloads which can make education difficult to prioritise.
For more information about Carers WA, including the Prepare to Care Hospital Program or to refer a carer, visit www.carerswa.asn.au
Want more news, clinicals, features and guest columns delivered straight to you? Subscribe for free to WA’s only independent magazine for medical practitioners.
Want to submit an article? Email editor@mforum.com.au