Who cares for the carers?
When a person develops a life-limiting and debilitating condition such as dementia, the responsibility for caring for them is very often assumed by a family member.
When a person develops a life-limiting and debilitating condition such as dementia, the responsibility for caring for them is very often assumed by a family member.
To care for someone is certainly an act of love, but it also requires extraordinary determination, patience and resilience. For carers it is very important to realise the limits of what is possible, find ways to maintain a positive frame of mind and, crucially, seek and receive care for themselves as well as their loved one.
In this story from The Guardian, Australian author Cynthia Dearborn talks about what she learnt through caring for her father, who had dementia. “It was essential to take breaks,” she writes.
If you are caring for someone with a life-limiting condition, search “carer support services” on this website to find ways to take some time for yourself.
If the person for who you care has dementia, you might also find North Western Primary Health Network’s Dementia Directory useful. It contains information that complements resources available from other networks, such as Dementia Australia.
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