From day one, Shirley and Michael knew that his brain cancer was terminal.
“We know from the beginning that there was no cure, and that it was a matter of time. It was a huge shock,” Shirley says.
Michael used to be able to help with he dishes and clean up around the house. These days, it’s Shirley that takes care of things around the house. He’s no longer as mobile as he used to be and gets tired a lot. Shirley feels tired often too.
As Shirley knows, the burden of caring often increases over time, especially if the person being cared for is approaching end of life.
“Michael was mobile initially, but now he’s become more fragile the past few months, he gets tired really easily and his short-term memory has gone, so he’s losing his independence,” Shirley says.
Many carers don’t ask for help because they feel should manage alone. Shirley is among the 2.65 million unpaid carers in Australia. Without help. Without taking a single day off.
Among the many vital clinical and support services, Silverchain Foundation also raises funds to help people like Shirley and Michael in their toughest times is to provide better support and respite for care.
Instead of getting the time caregivers like Shirley desperately need to rest, recharge, and recuperate, they keep going putting their own health at serious risk from what the medical community call ‘carer burnout.’
“When you step away from the daily stress, you see how dysfunctional everything has become and worn out and exhausted you are,” Shirley, loving wife and carer of Michael.
Can you send a gift today to give a family carer like Shirley much needed help – so she can go on being there for the person she loves?
Carer burnout is real
One in three carers never take time out of their caring responsibilities, with only half having enough time to keep on top of their other responsibilities, like meal preparation, paying bills, or even paid employment.
“I think a lot of carers who go through something like this experience depression and exhaustion, where it’s recognisable or not,” Shirley said.
If you’ve ever had to look after someone while they’re seriously unwell, caregiving is physically and emotionally draining. Research confirms that caregivers are at elevated risk of depression, burden, burnout, and stress.
Shirley knows that her health is critical to Michael’s health, because if she falls ill, he has no-one else. He could end up in hospital or, even worse, with his life in danger.
Your gift will help bring better home care to older Australians like Michael when it’s needed most. And you’ll give life changing support to those who have no-one else – like Shirley.
You can provide the support they need. Your generosity can help Silverchain develop tools and strategies that carers can use everyday to recharge, to identify when they need a break, and they best ways to go about it.
Will you send a gift today?