LiveBetter’s Carer Gateway program is set to partner with Inclusee in a bid to reduce the loneliness and isolation experienced by many carers in regional NSW. The Community Connections 4 Carers pilot program aims to provide meaningful connection opportunities for older carers.
This follows LiveBetter’s successful 2023 partnership with Inclusee, which saw In2Generations, a program addressing the issue of social isolation in older Australians, made available to LiveBetter Aging customers.
The links between loneliness and poor physical and mental health are now well-established. According to the 2022 National Carer Survey, 56 % of carers report that they feel socially isolated, and one in two carers report high, or very high levels of distress. Unsurprisingly, the survey showed that carer wellbeing levels sat at 58% compared with 75% for the general population.
“We know that loneliness can lead to other mental and physical health issues,” said LiveBetter CEO, Natalie Forsyth-Stock.
“It is hoped that the partnership between LiveBetter Carer Gateway and Inclusee will lead to improved overall health outcomes for regional carers.”
Carers are a vital resource in our communities. A 2020 report into the value of informal care undertaken by Carers Australia found that in 2020, it would have cost the taxpayer 77.9 billion dollars to replace the care provided by carers with formal paid services. Inflation alone would suggest this number could only have increased since then.
According to census data, there are three million unpaid carers in Australia. That’s one in every eight people. And while they provide invaluable care for others, carers often forget to find time to take care of themselves.
“Carers can easily become disconnected from their friends and their communities due to their caring responsibilities,” said LiveBetter Carer Gateway Program Manager, Bonny Stephens.
“They then find themselves feeling lonely and isolated, and this impacts both their mental and physical health – and ultimately their ability to continue providing care.”
Community Connections 4 Carers will run until June 2025 and will see 50 carers joining in online activities such as crafts, singing, art therapy, book club, gardening and education – all while making meaningful connections with others.
Connecting online has been made easy, with Inclusee providing each carer with a Samsung tablet, an Optus SIM card, and assistance to use the technology.
LiveBetter Philanthropy and Partnerships Manager, Kellie Martin, believes that “By strengthening the partnership between LiveBetter and Inclusee, we can work to reduce social isolation and build stronger networks, connecting people and providing a true sense of community.”
LiveBetter Carer Gateway is proud to be partnering with Inclusee to address the prevalence of loneliness and isolation in our communities.
We hope that by providing safe spaces where carers can feel connected, valued and empowered, we will begin to see improvements in their health and wellbeing outcomes. And this is essential, not only for our carers and the people in their care but also for the wider community, who rely on the work of unpaid carers everywhere
To learn more about the Carers NSW biennial National Carer Survey visit https://www.carersnsw.org.au/about-us/our-research/carer-survey
You can read the Value of Informal Care in 2020 Report here
You can learn more about Carer Gateway here
