Living in the Bush

I can appreciate how difficult living in the Bush is for a carer. I have now been one for the past three years and am amazed at the lack of practical support when the person being cared for needs to be taken to a major city for medical procedures.
Paperwork is the most important thing when you try to access any help from any government department.and it must always be done in person by the carer irrespective of how difficult it is for the carer to e.g. get to a local hospital. I know there must be hundreds of carers in my position.
This year I intend doing something about it.

I wonder why the carers site does not advertise where carers are needed in the bush. My husband and I have been carers for 22years and for the last 7 years we have earned out living as professional carers with an organisation. We often discuss how we would love to travel around Australia and work here and there as carers as we both have a lot of experience between us. I would like to know what others think about this idea. Bhadro

I would like to add that difficulties of finding care workers in counrty towns & area's is complicated by the distance many care workers have to travel to reach the families needing care workers for showing, respite etc!
The extra travel needs should be allowed for in care packages to get this much needed care & respite to those caring families that are living in more isolated or romote areas of Australia, the Bush!
I am 47 yrs old & have cared for 17.5 years we know what we need to care & we need greater imput & control over our care packages! This would help us to be more in control of our own lives! Terry

Dear Jo, I felt very sorry to read your email. My husband is quadripligic so I know what your going through. Have you thought about praying. Your heavenly father loves you and cares about you. Pray that someone will come into your life to help you. Give God a chance. It worked for me!!

I have a wonderful church family who support me. I will pray for you now.

God Bless,
Cheryl

I can understand your comments Jo. I am a carer of 10 years of my mother who had a stroke in 1999. I also cared for my dad until he died at home in 2003 after a lot of illness, surgery then kidney cancer.

Mum is very good mentally but her right side was effected and mobility is the problem. Fortunately though I am in a remote area I have found that Community Health are very supportive of what carers can go through. I have been lucky enough to have 2 hours respite a week and therapists who visit mum at home when they can get to our area.

Sometimes the restrictions of having to be at home so much of the time and living the life style more suited to someone mums age is depressing. I am turning 55 in November and I sometimes feel a bit invisible to the rest of the family. I have a sister and two brothers and though they 'help' as best they can I never feel they appreciate the stress that goes with caring. They never ask how I am. I have made the choice to be a carer and guess I am OK most of the time but I'd appreciate it if somebody 'cared' how I was.

You sound very down as you say you don't really care anymore. I hope now you have this contact that you can get services in your area to help you with support and social groups. It's easy to forget to look after ourselves!

Carers week comes and goes for me and i dont get informed about any thing nor do i get invited to be a part of carers week .Iam not sure why because i have been looking after my husband who is mostly paralized with out speech for a long time . most of the time i feel so isolated , iam 47 and i feel like iam 100 years old . I heard that other carers in the bigger towns get a lot more sopport and more outings , i can not remember the last time i had a meal out . I am at the point that i dont really care any more because no one sees or hears me .