Carers and caring: basic understandings
Who is a carer?
The NSW Carers (Recognition) Act 2010, defines a carer as someone who provides ongoing, unpaid support to people who need help because of disability, mental illness, chronic or terminal illness, dementia or frail age. Relatives and friends who provide such care, support and assistance are carers.
Carers and caring in Australia
Policy shifts in Australia and internationally have contributed to a decline in institutional care models, towards policies providing care for those who need it in the community, preferably within their own homes. This care is provided most often, but not exclusively, by family members, and is unpaid and informal.
- In 2016, the Australian Bureau of Statistics Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers identified 2.7 million carers – around 12 per cent of the population
- Of these, 770,000 were primary carers, that is, people who provide the most assistance to a person with a core activity need for assistance
Types of caring
One model suggests caring can comprise of three types of work:
- Disability, illness and frailty-specific work – tasks related to treatment regimes, managing symptoms and engaging with formal healthcare providers
- Everyday work – household tasks, care of the wider family, aspects of managing general health including diet and exercise, and personal care
- Emotional work – diffusing worry and anxiety, and managing aspects such as personal identity, plans for the future, expectations and relationships.
‘Carers come from all walks of life, all cultures and all religions. Some are children while other are nearing 90…Every care situation is different’ (Carers SA)
Understanding these variations is important for all research focusing on carers and caring.
To explore more about the research evidence on Carers, take a look at our Literature Review:
Download: Carer Wellbeing and Supports: A review of the literature and directions for research (1.2Mb)
Carers Charter
In NSW, the NSW Carers (Recognition) Act 2010 was introduced to formally recognise the significant contribution carers make to the people they care for and the community, by enacting the NSW Carers Charter and establishing the Carers Advisory Council.
The Department of Communities and Justice is leading implementation of the Act in NSW, including a NSW Carers Charter which includes 13 principles that affirm the valuable contribution that carers make and provides guidance on issues of significance for carers.
Learn more about the NSW Carers (Recognition) Act and the Carers Charter here.
