By GEORGIA WESTGARTH
PRIMARY family care givers in the south east were given an afternoon of respite and a chance to redefine their role by Carers Victoria.
The mingle was attended by about 120 carers at Amberlee Receptions in Cranbourne on Wednesday and highlighted the selfless nature of family carers.
Chief executive of Carers Victoria and former nurse Caroline Mulcahy said the mingle events held across Victoria give carers the opportunity to “take some time out, eat and talk to one another”.
“They can get tips from each other and reflect on themselves because they tend not to look after themselves, it’s always others,” she said.
Ms Mulcahy said family carers often don’t think of themselves as a carer but just as a mum, dad or a sibling.
“I really wanted to emphasise that they are a carer because they do it out of love for their family member and they forget.”
Carers’ dwindling health was also a topic of the day.
“In an Australian Unity report, carers were found to have the lowest health and wellbeing index ever researched, even worse than prisoners,” Ms Mulcahy said.
“Often they can’t leave their family member even to go to the dentist and they don’t actually look after themselves at all.”
Parliamentary Secretary for Carers and Volunteers and Dandenong MP Gabrielle Williams also attended along with Federal MP for Holt Anthony Byrne.
They both expressed their support and recognition of the work done by unpaid family carers at the free event.
Carer and Cranbourne mother of three Michelle Cullum voiced her empathy.
“I think people don’t realise how emotionally draining caring for a family member is and coming here today I feel for other carers,” she said.
Ms Cullum’s daughter was diagnosed with bipolar disorder last year and has since found a medication that works.
“In the past she has been so nasty, violent and suicidal – she also hears voices and self-harms,” Ms Cullum said.
Ms Cullum said counselling had helped her cope with the stress and worry.
“It’s a relief to just blurt it all to them – I definitely needed one a long time ago.”
She said she had also suffered from depression and that the stress of caring had made heightened her concerns.
“I sit in bed just waiting for that awful phone call from the police that something has happened,” she said.
But she said had found the event very helpful and was able to learn things from the other carers on her table.
