Key issues for carers

Caring is recognised and valued

• We want: Giving and receiving care to be seen as valued, normal and expected parts of life.
• Caring to be a shared responsibility: between individuals, governments and communities; within families; and between men and women.
• Professionals to work in partnership with family carers, to value their expertise and to acknowledge the support they provide.

Financial security

• Paid work to be more compatible with caring and to make it easier for carers to move into and out of employment.
• Adequate income support and superannuation for carers who have a limited capacity to participate in paid work.

Carers need flexible workplaces

• All carers to have access to flexible work and carer leave.
• Businesses to support carers in the workplace.
• Support for carer workforce participation with affordable, high quality, alternative care for people with care needs.
• Programs to help carers re-enter the workforce.

Carer support services

• Community care services to offer a wide range of options and choices.
• Available, Consistent, accessible, affordable, flexible, good quality services.
• No more service gaps or under-funded services Investment in stable, secure housing for people with care needs.

2020 National Carer Survey Report Released During National Carers Week

Carers NSW has launched the 2020 National Carer Survey summary report. This is the first time the biennial NSW Carer Survey has been expanded to all states, making it the first ever national carer survey. Of the 8,500 responses in total, Victorian carers accounted for 16% of the total respondents.

The survey results provide key insights into what is and isn’t working for carers and in the services they access. The survey included a great response from diverse and hidden groups of carers – including young carers, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander carers, culturally and linguistically diverse carers and LGBTQI+ carers, which will enable better understanding of the needs of these groups to tailor services to benefit them. The findings provide important new evidence of the contribution all carers make every day.

Key findings from the 2020 National Carer Survey include:

• The average age of survey respondents was 58 years, with the oldest respondent being 94 years of age.
• Survey respondents were most likely to be caring for their child (including adult children) or caring for their partner. One in four respondents cared for more than one person.
• The most common group of people being cared for by survey respondents were people with physical disability, followed by people with a chronic condition and people living with a mental illness.
• Nearly half of the carers who responded were experiencing high or very high psychological distress, and one in three felt highly socially isolated, which may have been influenced by the COVID-19 lockdowns in place in many states and territories at the time.
• One in three respondents said they never get time out from their caring responsibilities, with only around half having enough time to keep on top of other responsibilities.
• Large numbers of carers reported not being asked about their own needs when accessing disability, aged care, health and mental health services with or on behalf of the person they cared for.
• Up to one in three carers had found it difficult to get information about, and to organise, services to support the person they care for.
• One in four carers reported spending more money than they made in the past 12 months.

The survey will help Carers Victoria advocate for carers, influence policy development and improve service delivery for carers into the future.

Carers Victoria thanks all carers who participated in the survey. Together we can build a strong evidence base for future advocacy to improve carers’ lives in Victoria.

View the Victorian data fact sheet here.

Read a summary report of Victorian findings here.

Read the full report here.