Singing the praise of carers

– DECEMBER 2020 –

A carer of someone with complex medical needs is often thrust into the role unexpectedly. Sometimes carers are the loved ones who notice a loved one’s gradual decline, some enter the world of caring after a critical accident, others decide to become a carer as their career.

Becoming a carer can be a challenging period in your life. Your priority becomes the person you’re looking after and you’re thrust into a roller coaster situation of trying to understand medical jargon, legalities and weave your way through the maze of medical, allied health and NDIS appointments and processes. Many people are likely to find that at some stage in their life, they need to become a carer, yet despite the prevalence of carers, it remains a critically undervalued and under thanked undertaking.

Not always fully supported by society, carers are often shocked by the lack of support structure and networks available to help them look after the one they love.

A combination of the poor health of the person they’re caring for, a lack of time to get everything done and financial hardship can impact significantly on the whole family. It can be challenging to predict the course of an illness, or the recovery time for an injury, casting a shadow of uncertainty on the lives of the carer and of the patient. Yet, despite the extremely challenging nature of being a carer, they often cope admirably. They pitch in, lovingly caring for their patient, even in their most difficult moments, they show up in every way possible to make better the lives of their loved one or patient. From driving to medical appointments, to looking after the physical needs, to wrangling NDIS forms and often still manage children, households and the basics to running a home.

Many carers of relatives need to give up work, to allow the time to dedicate to their loved one, professional carers do the job with a love and tenderness which is beyond expectations.

In our experience of visiting the homes of many patients with complex neurological diseases and injuries, carers are absolutely amazing. A stoic and reliable breed of person, they are the unsung heroes of the physiotherapy world. Over the Christmas holidays, it’s so critically important that these local heroes in our community take a break. Take time for themselves to recharge, relax and reinvigorate ready for a New Year. It’s an opportunity to put themselves first for a change – to read that book, walk by the ocean, to have that quiet coffee or re-engage with your social circle. To care well for another, you must first look after yourself, even if it’s just for a few hours.

Our team at Active Edge Physiotherapy wish all our patients and carers a happy, safe and healthy Christmas – we look forward to continuing to support you into 2021.

BOOK DIRECT DISCOVER OUR SERVICES REFER TO US GO BACK