On the Coast – Families Issue 104 I February/March 2020 | Page 26

Young
Carers
BY LISA GEORGE, CARER SUPPORT
UNIT, CENTRAL COAST LOCAL
HEALTH DISTRICT.
I
t’s estimated that there are nearly
100 000 young people in this
situation in NSW, that’s around two
in every classroom, but unfortunately
for various reasons they are often
“hidden”. In many cases these young
people and their families don’t even
realise that they are a Young Carer. The
risks and challenges for Young Carers
are significant if they continue to go
unnoticed and unsupported. However,
with acknowledgment and support
from both their local community and
the wider “carer community”, they may
discover opportunities that could greatly
enhance their well-being.
Meet Gemma
Gemma is 13 years old and lives with her
mum who lives with Multiple Sclerosis
(MS). She often helps her out of bed to get
dressed and prepare meals. Gemma
worries about her mum being at home
alone when she’s at school. When her
mum is having a bad day with her MS,
Gemma stays home from school to make
sure she’s safe and doesn’t fall over.
Gemma’s mum can’t drive anymore so
it’s difficult for Gemma to get to after
school activities.
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ON T H E C OA S T – FAM ILIES
Meet Sarah
Sarah is 16-years-old. She lives with her
mum, dad and 11 year old brother Alex,
who lives with autism and epilepsy.
Sarah’s parents both work, so it’s her
responsibility to be home each
afternoon to meet Alex when he is
dropped off by the school minibus. She
manages his afternoon routine and
calms him down when he gets upset.
She’s been going along to his
Occupational Therapy and Speech
Therapy sessions for the last four years
and is very experienced at managing his
care and challenging behaviours. Her
mum sometimes finds it hard to cope
with Alex’s needs, so Sarah tries to
support her emotionally. None of her
friends have a sibling with a disability so
she doesn’t talk about Alex much. They
wouldn’t understand.
Meet Jacob
Jacob is 18-years-old. He lives with his
dad, who has an alcohol dependency and
depression, and his elderly grandmother,
who has recently had a few falls. His dad
is on a disability support pension and his
grandmother receives the aged pension.
Money is often a problem. Jacob would
like to go to university in Sydney next
year, but he doesn’t feel he can leave
his dad and grandma. It seems the only
option is to get a local job to help support
his family financially, and continue
managing the household chores and
shopping. He isn’t comfortable talking to
people about his dad’s situation.
What do Gemma, Sarah and Jacob have
in common? They are all Young Carers.
A Young Carer is a child or young
person, under 25 years-of-age, who
supports a family member or friend who
has a disability, mental illness, drug or
alcohol dependency, chronic medical
condition or who is frail aged. The type
of assistance they provide can range
from hands-on assistance with
showering, dressing and household
duties; through to emotional support,
first aid and even financial support.
In some cases, this young person will
be the primary carer. This commonly
occurs in single-parent families where
the parent is unwell or has a disability.
In other situations, the young person
takes on the role of secondary carer.
This might occur when a young person
assists their parent to care for a sibling,