Carers face dementia toll but there's 'joy to be had'
A new survey from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare highlights the significant physical and emotional toll on dementia caregivers. The findings suggest that many carers experience low wellbeing and provide extensive hours of unpaid support, underscoring a need for better systemic assistance.
Why it matters
As dementia rates rise, the sustainability of informal caregiving is becoming a critical public health and social policy issue.
Pathologist Debra Graves has spoken about the challenges caring for her late husband Don. Photo: PR IMAGE PHOTO After a full day's work as a medical professional, Debra Graves' second shift began when she returned home to care for her husband Don.
All articles from our website & app The digital version of Today's Paper Crosswords, Sudoku and Trivia All other regional websites in your area Continue Diagnosed with dementia in 2011, the former businessman and father's condition steadily deteriorated until his death seven years later, aged 84.
A leading pathologist, Dr Graves was accustomed to hard work, but the demands of her new caretaker role were exacting.
Apart from the round-the-clock work, the pain of watching her husband lose himself to the disease was it's own battle.
"It was heartbreaking in so far as the loved one that you knew was slipping away," she told AAP.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in