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* What if I need help organising a break? Across the country, a range of services are available to help you and your family get a break. Sometimes, finding the right support, can be difficult, but there are workers who can help you and your family to organise something that meets your needs. Your local Commonwealth Carer Respite Centre can let you know what services are available, and how you might access them. They can be contacted on 1800 059 059*. In each state and territory, your Carers Association also runs different programs for young carers, which might include: Support groups where you can meet other young carers like yourself; Camps, day activities, and other fun activities; Tutoring and help with school or university; Information days; Counselling and personal support. To find out what's available near you, call your local Commonwealth Carer Resource Centre on 1800 242 636*. * What about when I need an emergency break? Though most respite is organised in advance, sometimes young carers might come across a situation, where they need help - right here and right now. This might be because their relative has had an accident, or is really unwell, and needs to go into hospital. These kinds of situations are difficult enough to handle, so it's important to know that you and your relative are going to be OK. The best way of doing this is to be prepared - and the best way of being prepared, is to develop a plan that covers what should happen, if you find yourself in an emergency situation. The following questions might help you begin planning. A more detailed questionnaire is available: Young Carers Care Plan. What phone numbers do I need in case of an emergency? (for example ambulance, police, doctor, mental health crisis team etc); Who in my family should I call, to let them know what's going on? What are their numbers?; If left alone, who can I get to come and support me? Help with transport? Tell me what's going on?; If left alone, where can I stay? How can I get there? Have I checked that this is OK?; Who can I talk to, if I am stressed, afraid, worried about what's going on? How can I get in contact with them quickly? Your local Commonwealth Carer Respite Centre is also available to help you in these situations. You can call them on 1800 059 059* 24 hours a day. * Coping with school Many young carers say that school is a really important place for them - somewhere they can have time out from their caring; to spend time with other children and young people; and to get some support and information. However, many young carers also tell us that because of bullying; teachers who don't understand; and heavy workloads, school can sometimes be stressful too. Here are some tips on how to work your way through school while still caring: Getting support At school, there are lots of people who you can talk to, if you're not coping with school work, or if anything else is bothering you. Talking to your classroom or home room teacher is probably a good place to start. Some young carers have said that it's useful to: Tell them about your caring, if you feel safe about doing so. Teachers are often keen to help out, but can only do so, if they know what's going on. Write down the young carers website address, and ask them to check out the teachers section, for ideas on how they can best support you (www.youngcarers.net.au); Come up with a plan with your teacher, about how you're going to deal with homework and assignments. Sometimes, your teachers might be able to let you off some work, or help you organise things, so that everything doesn't pile up at once. In your plan, talk about what you might need to do, if your relative is really unwell, and what support you might get from the school; Talk with the school's youth worker or counsellor - they usually know how to get the most out of the school, and how to deal with tough stuff. These workers can also be an advocate for you - that means, that they can talk to other teachers and staff, if you don't feel comfortable in doing so. Often, they can also link you up with the community; Talk to a librarian - who can help you track down information about illnesses, disabilities, mental illnesses and alcohol and other drugs. A word on bullying Bullying is never OK. Many young carers tell us that bullying can really hurt, and that you shouldn't have to put up with it. Here's some advice they have on how to deal with bullies and bullying: Tell someone about it - this could be a teacher; a counsellor; a youth worker; or your parents. Talking to someone else isn't a weak thing to do: usually it takes a lot of courage and strength; Hang around with other people - you're less likely to be bullied in a group, and friends can help you deal with any bullies if they need to; Be confident - you are an awesome person with great skills, talents and personality. Don't let yourself believe otherwise. Bullies will often attack people who seem to be easy targets - so stand up for yourself, and be proud. Get more ideas from your local Young Carers Worker, through the Commonwealth Carer Resource Centre on 1800 242 636*. * Caring safely 'Safety' is important to keep in mind when caring - both for you, and for the relative you're caring for. Take some time every week (or more often if you can) to check to make sure that everything's safe. How do I make my home safe? There are often hazards around the home, that need to be taken care of, to make sure you and your relative are safe. Here are some things to check on: Make sure that all power-points are switched off or covered; Make sure that all cleaning products and medicines are in a secure place; Write a list of useful numbers, and keep it on the fridge. Include the number for the Poisons Information Line on 13 11 26 and the Emergency Services Line on 000; Make sure that you've got smoke alarms around the home, and that they're checked at least once a month; Make sure that there are at least two ways out of the house if there's a fire, and that they are easy to get through - this is especially important, if the person you are caring for, finds it hard to move, or has difficulty seeing; Clean up around the home, making sure there's nothing your relative can slip on, or run into and hurt themselves. Your local Commonwealth Carer Resource Centre on 1800 242 636* or Commonwealth Carelink Centre on 1800 052 222* may be able to organise someone to come around and check out your home for any hazards. They can also give you some tips on how to make your house safer, and how to deal with emergency situations. How do I help get my relative around the house safely? If the relative you care for needs help moving around, it's useful to: Get a professional, like a physiotherapist or occupational therapist, to assess how safe your home is, and put in ramps and rails when needed; Remove any loose rugs, and rearrange furniture, so that your relative doesn't have an accident; Get some ideas from any workers coming into the home, as to how to best care for your relative. If the relative you care for needs to be lifted: Don't attempt to do it by yourself ; Talk to a worker about whether you can get a hoist or other equipment to help move your relative; Get advice from a community nurse; occupational therapist; physiotherapist; or health worker, on how you might lift safely. How do I care safely for someone who can be aggressive? If you care for someone who is aggressive, it's important to make sure that you are safe. You can do this by: Letting other relatives and health professionals know that your relative gets aggressive sometimes, and ask how they might help you; Make sure that you are never alone with your relative, if you feel that you can't deal with the situation; Plan safe places around the home, where you can go, if you need space from your relative - this might include a locked bathroom, or leaving the house; Secure or hide anything that may be dangerous to your relative, or things that your relative might use unsafely; Learn some techniques on how to protect yourself in unsafe situations. How do I care safely for someone who is confused or who has memory loss? Sometimes, the person you look after, might get confused or afraid, because they don't know what's happening. In these situations, other young carers suggest that you might: Make a schedule of things that are going to happen, let your relative know, and try to stick to it; Leave notes around the home, to remind your relative of things that are going on; Prepare your relative, by telling them what's going on in advance - don't just spring things on them; Make sure that your relative has some ID and your phone number in their wallet or purse, so that if they get lost, someone can call you; If your relative is agitated, ask them to tell you 3 colours they can see in the room, and then what they last ate. This can help them reconnect with where they are and what is going on around them. * Dealing with emergencies Though your brain and your body might tell you otherwise, during an emergency, the most important thing, is to stay calm. Take a few breaths, and allow yourself some time to think through what's going on. Before doing anything else you should: Check for danger - make sure that you are safe, and that you're not going to put yourself at risk by helping; Check for a response from the person/people in the emergency; Do they respond in any way when you say their name/squeezing their earlobe or shoulders?; Are they breathing? If they are not breathing, and you know how to do mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, begin immediately. If you don't - get help, and call an ambulance straight away. CALLING AN AMBULANCE - PHONE 000 When you call the ambulance, you need to tell them: That you need an ambulance; Where the emergency is taking place (including your state, location, nearby landmarks like a shop name, a building or park); Your name; Your telephone number (or the number you're calling from); What happened; How many people need help; What help has been given to them; Who else is around to help you. Don't hang up until the emergency services operator does. If someone has self-harmed If someone has hurt themselves, and it wasn't an accident, you need to get medical help straight away. If the person doesn't want help, or is being violent, then you should call the police on 000. If they are calm and are bleeding, wrap a towel around their wound, and get them to hold on to it tightly. If the person is happy to go to hospital, it's best if you call an ambulance. They will take the person to the hospital, where they will be given help - a doctor will look at any injuries, and a psychiatrist will probably check to make sure that their mental health is OK too. If you are worried that someone is going to hurt themselves, you should call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Kids Help Line on 1800 55 1800 for some ideas on what you can do, and how you can get help. Keep emergency numbers by your phone, so that you don't have to remember them in the middle of a crisis. * If someone has overdosed on drugs If someone has taken a lot of drugs, and you are worried that they have overdosed, call an ambulance straight away. You can find out more about the drugs your relative or friend has taken, by calling Poisons Information on 13 11 26. * Support from your doctor When you're a young carer, having a good relationship with your GP is really important. GPs can give you information about your relative's condition; answer any questions you might have about how to best care for them; as well as checking to make sure that you're healthy too. To get the most out of your trips to the GP, you should: Tell the GP that you are a young carer; who you care for, and what type of illness, disability, mental health issue or alcohol or other drug problem that they have; Take a list of questions with you, so you don't forget anything; Take notes; Ask your doctor for any handouts they might have; Organise another time to meet with them later down the track. Make sure you talk about your own health too. Questions you might like to ask: How does my relative's condition affect their body/mind?; Can I catch it (is it contagious)? How are they being looked after - what is their treatment plan? How can I best help them? Are they taking any medication? What does it do? What happens if they don't take it? In an emergency, what do I need to do? Is it going to get better, worse, or stay the same? How can I tell? Is it likely that I will suffer from the same condition later (is it hereditary?). Do you have any more information, or do you know where I can get it (on the internet, fact sheets, organisations)? Though your doctor might not be able to answer specific questions about your relative, without their permission, they can give you a good idea of what is going on, and how to help. * Community Health Centres Sometimes, it might be hard to get an appointment with your local GP, or you might not be able to afford it. In these situations, it's good to find out if there is a Community Health Centre or Youth Health Service in your area, where you can see a doctor or nurse for free. Usually, these Centres can also give you more time, and may be more used to talking to children and young people. Your local Commonwealth Carer Resource Centre should be able to give you an idea of where to go - call them on 1800 242 636*. * Your rights When getting support from any doctor, you have rights which the doctor has to respect. These include the right to: Be treated with respect; Not have your situation shared with others, without your permission (except if the doctor is worried about your safety); Be given information in words you understand; Have important information written down; Change your mind; Get another opinion; Have another family member or friend with you during an appointment. If you are under 16, a doctor might need to get permission from your parents, before treating you. You have the right to expect that your doctor will talk to you about this, before they talk to your parents. * Medicare To be able to go to the doctor by yourself, you need to have a Medicare card. If you are under 15, you are probably listed on a parent or guardian's card - which you'll need to take along to an appointment. If you are over 15, you can get a Medicare card of your own by: Taking some identification (a birth certificate, passport, keycard or bank account details) to a local Medicare office which can be found in the white pages; Complete a Medicare Form - which can be downloaded from the Health Insurance Commission's website or picked up and filled out when you arrive at the Medicare office. Having your own Medicare card can be more convenient, and makes you more independent. Medicare covers the costs of: All public hospital clinics; Treatment as a public patient in a public hospital; All or part of the costs of doctors - often including specialists, optometrists and other health services (check first!). * Help from your pharmacist Pharmacies are often a great place for you to go to get information about your relatives' condition. Unlike doctor's surgeries, you can usually just pop in and talk to a pharmacist or one of their assistants. Pharmacists can help you with a whole range of things, but in particular, they can give you information about the medication that your relative is taking; what it does; how often they should take it; and what happens if they miss a dose. Some of the questions that you might ask a pharmacist, include: What is this medicine used for?; How and when is the best way for it to be taken?; Are there any side effects, like feeling sick or sleepy?; What happens if your relative misses a dose?; Are there any other drugs that your relative shouldn't take at the same time as taking this one?; Do you have any information I can take away with me about this medicine?; You will need to take with you, a list of medicines that your relative is taking, including: Their names; Their strength (usually medicines have a number after their name ie Keflex 750). If you need information about a particular medicine quickly, or in an emergency, you can call the Poisons Information Line on 13 11 26. * Info and support Support groups As well as giving you a chance to get things off your chest, Support Groups can be good to get information about your relative or friend's condition; how to best care for them; and how to get help for yourself. Many Organisations that support people with different conditions, run groups for family members and friends - why not ring and see if they've got a Group you could go to. On-line chat groups Many young carers say that they like to hang out in on-line chat groups. Usually, these places are a great place to chill out and meet other children and young people - but it's always important to make sure that you're safe. Here's some tips from other young people on how to surf the net safely: Don't ever give out your real last name, phone number or address to people over the internet - you can't be sure who they are; Check out any information people might give you before acting on it - you don't want to get yourself in any trouble; Don't arrange to meet anyone you meet on the net, without talking it through with a parent or a trusted adult; You don't have to put up with any abusive comments, or other stuff that makes you feel uncomfortable - log off immediately, and tell someone about it. Some young carers are setting up their own young carer chat groups - call your local Young Carer Worker, through the Commonwealth Carer Resource Centre on 1800 242 636* to find out if they know of one. * The internet The internet is a great place to get good, up-to-date information. Unfortunately, though, for every good website, there is probably another one that has wrong or unhelpful advice or information. It's important, then, that you learn how to work out how to distinguish between the two. Here's a few good sites that might point you to the information you need: Carers Australia also has it's own website at www.carersaustralia.com.au You'll be able to find useful fact sheets, and links to the Carers Association in your capital city. Reachout! is a website for young people, and covers a whole range of topics that they might come across - there's even a section on young carers! Go to www.reachout.com.au. KidsHealth - is a site for children, teens and young adults. It has some great information about a whole range of illnesses, disabilities, mental health problems and services. Check it out at www.kidshealth.org. It's All Right - was put together by SANE, and can give you some information and links about mental illness. It's pretty funky, and easy to read: www.itsallright.org. Kids Help Line has a website at www.kidshelp.com.au and has some information about bullying; dealing with stress; and talking things through. www.thesource.gov.au is the Commonwealth Government's youth website. It's got links to websites in each state and territory that can let you know what's going on, and how to get help. * Who can help your relative? Across the country, there are a whole range of services and supports available for people with an illness, disability, mental illness or drug or alcohol problem. Though it varies from area to area, here are some of the types of services that might be able to help your relative out: Home help can be available, where a worker comes into your home to help you and your relative out. They can usually help out with things like shopping, cleaning and washing, or helping your relative with things like showering, toileting or changing dressings. Home nursing is often available, where a trained nurse can visit people in their homes. They may provide assistance with showering and dressing; giving medications and injections; or changing dressings. Care can be provided regularly, or occasionally, when you need it. Food services can often be organised for people who find it hard to make their own meals. These services can drop around food (either fresh or frozen) during the day. Occupational therapists (OT) can sometimes help your relative do things at home, like getting in and out of bed; taking a shower; or getting some exercise, and may also help organise equipment to make caring easier - like lifts or hoists. Transport can sometimes be organised, to help people who don't have access to regular transport. This might be to appointments, to shopping or social activities. Sometimes, your local hospital or health centre, can help out with transport too. Community Health Centres can often provide affordable (if not free) services, including counselling, physio, and advice on health, relationships and feelings. Palliative care is for people who have a terminal illness and their carers, and it helps to relieve pain, reduce stress, and help them deal with some of the issues around death and dying. Your local hospital or community nurse should be able to get you in contact with a palliative care program. * How can my relative get these supports? Commonwealth Carer Resource Centres often have a list of services available in your local area. Call them on 1800 242 636* for more information; Your local doctor is often aware of what supports and services your relative might be able to receive. They can sometimes make a referral for you; Nurses, carers and other health workers who come into your home or provide help elsewhere, often have a good idea of what other support is available; Specialist services and programs, like the Cancer Council; the MS Society; Schizophrenia Fellowship, etc often have information about programs for people with specific conditions. Look them up in the 'Community Help' section of your local phone book for contact details; 'Just look' is a website where you can find out what supports are available in your local area. You can find it on-line at www.justlook.org.au * Who can help your family? Sometimes, families can benefit from supports as a group. In most towns and cities, there are family centres or family workers who can help you access a range of supports including: Family Support Services are often able to support families, by looking at what help they might need, and connecting them up with programs that give them support; Mediation - Family mediation can help families talk and deal with any problems they might be having; Respite - Commonwealth Carer Respite Centres may be able to help organise a break for your whole family. This might give you time to relax without the pressures of every day life; Financial support is often available through charities, community centres and social workers. This Emergency Relief Funding can help families pay bills; buy food and clothes; and cover other family expenses. Carers Associations - As well as having programs for young carers, each state and territory association can help other family members who are caring too. There are support groups, information services, social outings and classes on how to care safely. * How can my family get these supports? Commonwealth Carer Resource Centres often have information on supports for families. Contact them on 1800 242 636* Community Centres exist in most towns and cities. Workers can help link you up with information and supports; Lifeline can give you contact details of local supports and programs. Contact them on 13 11 14; School counsellors and youth workers can help you find the help you need; 'Just look' is a website where you can find out what supports are available in your local area. You can find it on-line at www.justlook.org.au * A word on child protection Sometimes, families are worried about seeking support, because they are afraid that they might be split up, or because they think that people might judge them. Child Protection Services exist, to make sure that children and young people are safe, and will usually only intervene, if they believe that the child or young person is at risk of harm. Most of the time, Child Protection Services work with families, to come up with ways that the family can be better supported, and can help connect them with services that they might need. * Who can help you? All of us need some time out; someone to talk to; and a hand getting things done. Here is a list of services and supports that are usually available to young carers themselves: Young Carer Workers have been employed in every state and territory, to help young carers get the support they need. You can call them through the Commonwealth Carer Resource Centre on 1800 242 636*; Support Groups give young carers a chance to meet others in the same situation as themselves; to talk through any issues they might have, with people who understand; and to have fun in a safe and positive environment. They might be for all young carers, or focus on a specific condition. Sometimes, they're run face-to-face, but they can also be on the phone, or over the internet. Contact your local Commonwealth Carer Resource Centre for ideas about what groups are running; Youth Centres - in most towns and cities, there is a youth centre, a youth club or sports and recreational facility, where young people can hang out; talk to a worker; and meet other young people. Youth Centres often have a good idea about what other services and supports are available, and can hook you up with people who can help you with your caring; Youth Health Centres are like Youth Centres, but they might have doctors, nurses and counsellors to help you with any health issues you have. You can often get a free and confidential appointment with someone who can help you out; Youth Refuges can sometimes give you a place to stay when you really need it; Counsellors are often available, to help young carers talk through their issues. You can usually find them through the Commonwealth Carer Resource Centre on 1800 242 636* or at school, Youth Health Centres, or in the phone book. ****************************** This Community Support Website is |
