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The Mental Health Council of Tasmania (MHCT) is a member based peak body. We represent and promote the interests of community managed mental health services and have a strong commitment to enabling better access and outcomes for every Tasmanian.

Re: Topic Tuesday // Does the label 'Carers' make you feel uncomfortable // Tues 27 March, 7pm AEDT

I'm not sure if any of your saw on our Facebook page we advertised a survey asking a couple of questions about the term carer.

This is what we found:

1. What word do you use to describe a person who provides unpaid, ongoing support to someone for their health or mental health needs?

Screen Shot 2018-03-27 at 6.29.53 pm.png

What I found really interesting was the next question. In the above question we asked for a 'definition' but when we asked level of comfort for each term, 51% said they felt 'very comfortable' with family terms (husband, brother, son etc), but only 28% felt 'very comfortable' with the term 'Carer'.

 

 

Re: Topic Tuesday // Does the label 'Carers' make you feel uncomfortable // Tues 27 March, 7pm AEDT

I didnt actually see that survey @NikNik, it would have been good to participate.

I am not completly supprised by the results though. 

Re: Topic Tuesday // Does the label 'Carers' make you feel uncomfortable // Tues 27 March, 7pm AEDT

Paid care workers are not called Carers anymore, that hasn't been for years now.

It's usually Support Worker, which is my job title in Disabilities.

Adge

Re: Topic Tuesday // Does the label 'Carers' make you feel uncomfortable // Tues 27 March, 7pm AEDT

@Henry there's an amazing stat that I will never forget that I found through Carers Australia:
"It is estimated that carers provided 1.9 billion hours of unpaid care in 2015"

The roles of paid and unpaid are very similar..... minus the money

Re: Topic Tuesday // Does the label 'Carers' make you feel uncomfortable // Tues 27 March, 7pm AEDT

Hello @Shaz51 and hello everyone,

I have never thought about the term "carer" and how I feel about it.....

Hmm... I neither feel positively or negatively about it.

However, I have always preferred being identified not by my role(s) but to explain what that role entails. Eg.. Rather than say.... "I am a carer", I might say, I" support my mother in such a nd such a way..." Much in the same way as I prefer to say "My son has autism and this is how he manages day to day life.. " rather than to say "My son is autistic and he..... ". I guess maybe it's because it opens out the conversation more open endedly and not have the hearer have a perceived idea of what that role is before you have the chance to explain....

Having said that, I think identity such as mother/ daughter/ wife/ grandaughter is fine.... Because it describes the relationship not the role per se.... Can always expand.

Re: Topic Tuesday // Does the label 'Carers' make you feel uncomfortable // Tues 27 March, 7pm AEDT

I am very mindful of Mr D's feelings in relation to use of the term and use it as little as possible. I noticed recently with an orthopaedic doc (rather than pdoc), Mr D announced I was his carer even though I said I was his wife.

Re: Topic Tuesday // Does the label 'Carers' make you feel uncomfortable // Tues 27 March, 7pm AEDT

Clients in the Disability (& aged care field) are not called clients anymore.

We are told to refer to them as "Customers" - personally I think that sounds far too much like retail (a shop).

A Client sounds like a more caring relationship (to me) - & Support Worker sounds far too clinical & uncaring.

Adge

Re: Topic Tuesday // Does the label 'Carers' make you feel uncomfortable // Tues 27 March, 7pm AEDT

Welcome @Susana 🙂
Good on you for opening up conversations - that can be really tricky!

Re: Topic Tuesday // Does the label 'Carers' make you feel uncomfortable // Tues 27 March, 7pm AEDT

In my experience and in many media stories, paid care workers are often reffered to as carers.  There have even been occasions where I hear or see the word carer and then find the story is about wildlife carers.  From my perspective there is no clear universal use of the word.

Re: Topic Tuesday // Does the label 'Carers' make you feel uncomfortable // Tues 27 March, 7pm AEDT

1.9 billion hours of unpaid care - that's huge @NikNik

Mental Health Council of Tasmania