Meet Sophie, a devoted mother, wife, daughter, sister and committed carer for her elderly parents.
After experiencing burnout in her career, Sophie decided to transition to caring full-time for her nonagenarian parents, who lived with her and her family on their property.
What she hadn’t realised when taking on the role was that their needs would always have to come first, often at the expense of her own. Over time, Sophie became more and more worn down by the intensity of the demanding caregiving responsibilities
When Sophie arranged for her parents to be assessed for home care services through My Aged Care, the assessor immediately recognised Sophie’s need for support. Until then, Sophie hadn’t fully understood the impact caregiving was having on her emotional and mental well-being, however during the assessment process, she learned about Carer Gateway and the range of support services available to help carers like herself.
Carer Gateway
When Sophie first contacted Care Gateway, they arranged for her to meet with Sarina, a highly experienced Carer Coach.
“Sarina understood me from day one. I felt supported and recognised in a way I’d never experienced before.”
Sarina arranged for Sophie to attend a three-day carer wellbeing event. Despite the stress of leaving her ailing parents for a few days, Carer Gateway and Sophie recognised the urgent need for Sophie to prioritise her own health and wellbeing. The carer wellbeing event proved to be transformative.
“You could see the change in people over the three days”, Sophie reflected.
“After that, I saw that I needed some counselling to help me process things, and navigate my way through my situation, and Carer Gateway has made that possible.”
The responsibility of caring full-time for aging parents is immense, and the mental and emotional impacts should not be ignored.
For Sophie, the greatest challenge was understanding when to step back to preserve the parent-child relationship. Having cared for her parents for what feels like “forever”, she now acknowledges the toll it has taken.
“I am still caring for Mum and Dad, but I have put measures in place to help me support them. Caring for your parents carries a responsibility that extends beyond their immediate care; it’s also about being accountable to the family for decisions you make”.
Advice for carers
“Consider your role as a carer carefully. It’s important to ensure you maintain and nurture your relationship with the person you’re caring for while you’re providing that practical care. And remember, if you don’t take steps to preserve your own wellbeing, eventually you’ll have nothing left to give, either to the person you care for or to yourself.”
“I really believe it’s worth reaching out to Carer Gateway – it’s an invaluable service, and offers a range of supports that can benefit all carers.”
Names have been changed for privacy.
