More than 10,000 family and friend carers from across Australia have asked for more acknowledgement and support in the 2024 National Carer Survey, for which first results are being launched today by Carers NSW.
Nearly 1 in 2 carers who responded to the National Carer Survey said that they did not feel recognised and valued by their community or by government. Most respondents also stated that they were not asked about their own needs as carers when supporting the person they care for to access disability, mental health and health care services.
Around 1 in 3 First Nations carers told us that the mainstream services they access are not culturally safe, and while half of the young carers who responded had a teacher who was aware of their caring role, only 1 in 5 had received extra support at school.
This National Carers Week, from 13 to 19 October 2024, two important sources of data about carers in Australia have been launched, adding to an increasingly rich evidence base to inform policy, service design and practice.
Today, Carers NSW and the State and Territory Carer Organisations are pleased to launch the first results from the 2024 National Carer Survey, conducted every two years to inform the systemic advocacy and service design of the State and Territory Carer Organisations and their stakeholder networks.
Yesterday, Carers Australia released the report of their annual Carer Wellbeing Survey, conducted in partnership with the University of Canberra. This year’s survey highlighted the loneliness, psychological distress and poor financial wellbeing reported by Australian carers.
Both surveys contribute important and complementary perspectives to improve understanding of carers’ experiences. The 2024 National Carer Survey, in particular, brings a detailed focus on carer recognition and inclusion when carers access service systems, alongside a broad range of other themes emerging from stakeholder consultation.
“We thank the thousands of carers nation-wide who shared their experiences in the 2024 National Carer Survey.” said Carers NSW CEO, Elena Katrakis. “Hearing their voices is so important as we look to improve outcomes for all carers.”National and state/territory highlights, as well as First Nations and young carers fact sheets, are now available to download from www.nationalcarersurvey.com.au.
Source: Carers NSW (2024) 2024 National Carer Survey.
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