Ignoring the needs of senior carers a costly mistake

Greens MLC Alison Xamon has called on the government to use Seniors Weeks to acknowledge and address the specific challenges faced by senior carers, adding that failure to do so could have serious social and financial implications for Western Australia.

“Carers who are over 65 are making invaluable contributions to our community. Not only are they saving taxpayers billions of dollars by carrying out unpaid work, they are creating a kinder community by caring for sick or disabled loved ones, rather than institutionalizing them. But it’s not an easy job and there are specific challenges and issues facing senior carers, so we need to offer them the tailored support they need,” Ms Xamon, Greens WA Spokesperson for Disability Issues and Mental Health said this week in Parliament.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics estimates that in WA, 42,700 carers are aged 65 and over. This represents 17% of all carers in WA. If the work provided by family and friend carers was replaced by paid staff the cost to the Australian economy has been estimated at $40.1 billion annually (Access Economics 2010).

“Older carers may be supporting their spouse, an adult child or a grandchild with disability.  Caring for a spouse is already a challenge, but of particular concern are those older carers who find themselves still needing to provide primary care to disabled or mentally unwell children or grandchildren.

“Issues for older carers can include anxiety regarding the future, their own health needs, financial stress and social isolation.

“Many older carers are living in fear of what will happen to them and their children when they die or become too frail to care any longer.

“There are a number of steps we can take to alleviate the financial, health and social uncertainty faced by senior carers. The first step is a wider acknowledgement of the valuable work they undertake and the special challenges they face.

“If we don’t address the particular issues and concerns facing senior carers, many will be unable to continue their caring role. This burden will then fall on the state and there will be significant financial, social and human costs associated with that,” Ms Xamon added.