Carers Victoria partnered with Carers Australia and the Australian Digital Health Agency to deliver digital health sessions designed to help carers to develop their understanding, skills and confidence to use the Australian Digital Health Agency’s digital products.
This includes My Health Record, 1800MEDICARE, electronic prescribing, and telehealth services.
Carers Australia recruited and trained Anthea Miles, a carer with a long association with Carers Victoria, to facilitate two face-to-face sessions. The sessions were hosted by Carers Victoria at our offices in the Melbourne CBD.
The best part of partnering with Carers Victoria was spending time with the lovely staff and feeling genuinely valued by them. As a carer, I’ve mostly been unable to work due to supporting my daughter, who schools at home, so it meant a lot to be able to do advocacy work that supports other carers. I was truly sad finishing the second session, knowing it was my last.
Anthea, Peer facilitatorOne session was delivered in April, the other in May, giving just enough time for carers who attended the first session to tell their friends about it and encourage them to come along to the second. There really is nothing like a recommendation from another carer about great opportunities!
Starting with a morning tea, carers spent some time settling in and getting to know one another with coffee and a treat. During the session, Anthea led the group to explore how digital resources can support carers with the familiar challenge of keeping medical information about themselves and the person they care for up to date and accessible to those who need it. The group also learned how digital health can be used safely and securely, how health information is protected, and how carers can manage access settings themselves. By the end of our time together, most carers in both groups had moved from being concerned to being keen about using the digital tools.
What a great opportunity for Carers Victoria to connect our carer members with a peer educator who has been trained to share a solution to the common challenge of managing health information for yourself and for others.
