A MUST-HAVE SURVIVAL GUIDE FOR ALL THOSE CARING FOR AN ELDERLY LOVED ONE

AUD $9.95+gst

WA – AUTUMN 2023

ALARMS
Everything you need to know

CENTRELINK
A beginners’ guide

Dementia Support

Respite
For you and your loved one

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BUTTROSE
On caring, community and compassion

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THERAPY
Four-legged goodness

Try Maggie Beer’s tasty

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Caring for carers
Puzzles,
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games, jokes
How to say no & delicious
recipes
Compassion fatigue

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Buttrose with her much-loved dog Cleo,

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AUTUMN 2023 | Australian Carers Guide 19

 A Wellbeing

Why hobbies are good for your

 Australian Carers Guide | AUTUMN 2023
JEAN
KITTSON’S
SURVIVAL
GUIDE FOR
CARERS
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practical advice on how to survive
the rollercoaster ride that most
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Illustrations Patrick Cook

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our panicking children are looking
at us in horror and will never trust us again.
Being a carer is much the same.
Often a very long-haul journey. For some
carers, it’s a lifetime’s work. So pace yourself,
carers, and get as much support as you can.
If you crack, the whole thing falls apart and
all the planning and organising will be for
nothing! All the tears and pain and letters of
complaint, and all the years you have spent
on hold on the bloody phone.
Here are some suggestions to survive it all
(reasonably) intact.

AUTUMN 2023 | Australian Carers Guide 41

 Boundaries
to your elderly
parents
For such a little word, “no”
can be surprisingly hard to
say, especially when you are
telling a parent that you can’t
do something for them. But
what if learning how to say
no could be just as good for
your parent’s health as it is for
yours? By Kosette Lambertb
 Australian Carers Guide | AUTUMN 2023
hen you think about saying “no”
W to your parent (or parents), the
thought is likely to be followed by
a feeling of guilt and a list of all the reasons
why saying no is not a good idea. But saying
no is not only good for your wellbeing as a
carer, it may also help your parent maintain
their independence and, ultimately, their
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It’s all about positive self-perception, says
Rachel Ambagtsheer, a research fellow
and senior learning facilitator at Torrens
University Australia, who studies frailty
and healthy ageing. Ambagtsheer says that
A The system

Tips for
navigating
Centrelink
If you’re caring for elderly parents,
dealing with Centrelink will be inevitable. Here’s how
to make the process easier.
 A The system
Knowledge is power Meanwhile, you can relay all this
Caring for your elderly parents can information to your parents, too. That way
be very challenging. We’re lucky they won’t be clueless about what they
in Australia that the Federal need to prepare, such as the documents
Government is committed to discussed earlier.
Having
first-hand providing assistance to You can also get help from your siblings
knowledge about make growing old and or other extended family members. Share
the support you can caring for our elders responsibilities with them, and discuss
get for your easier. Knowing that aged-care arrangements now. That way
ageing parents is KHOSDQGȴQDQFLDO
essential in being you will be ready to deal with the situation
support are available when it comes. After all, it is easier to go
able to provide
them with the somehow makes the about this phase of life when everyone is
best care journey more bearable. co-operating and sharing the load. ACG
Life is all about preparation.
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hand knowledge about the support Subscribe to our
you can get for your ageing parents is mailing list for news
essential in being able to provide them and updates.
with the best care available.
 A Wellbeing

Common symptoms of compassion fatigue include:

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Reduced feelings of sympathy
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Problems in personal relationships

A reduced sense of accomplishment

or meaning in caring
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It can come on more quickly than

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and the desire to help, but you might feel
overwhelmed by the symptoms. It can
also lead to burnout.

The common signsb

Compassion fatigue is basically a
chronic, low-level cloud over the
care and concern you have for your
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your compassion without taking
time to regularly recharge, the ability
to feel and care for others becomes
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74 Australian Carers Guide | AUTUMN 2023

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XS

Not everything you need is available from your

local retailer. Don’t settle for what’s just on the shelf.
Get the right fit with sizes from XS to 3XL, Junior to Adult, Unisex
to Male or Female, boxers to full briefs, King Single to King size.
Everyday continence products available in more sizes and fits
for your loved ones.

Visit store.independenceaustralia.com Scan QR code

or call 1300 788 855 to start shopping

AUTUMN 2023 | Australian Carers Guide 119