YOUR VIEWS
FOR most people eating out or catching up with friends are common pastimes. For Queensland’s 474,300 unpaid family carers, however, such activities are rare treats.
A new survey by Carers Queensland highlights the long hours devoted to friends and family with a disability, a mental health or chronic health condition and the elderly. More than 60 per cent of survey respondents provide more than 12 hours of care, seven days a week, and 34 per cent reported their caring role was 24/7.
In the seven days prior to completing the survey, the 448 respondents had provided between 43,382 and 50,377 hours of unpaid support.
On average, carers were enjoying
less than 30 minutes of daily “me-time” each day, while 24 per cent struggled to find up to an hour to themselves in an entire week.
When asked how they spent this precious time, the most popular activities included going out for a coffee or meal and spending time with family or friends.
Carers are very resilient, but they are only human and having so little time to yourself impacts on your health.
The carers we speak to take pride in caring for their loved ones. With more support from communities, policy makers, friends and family – such as helping carers carve out a little “me time” – they can continue in their vital role.
National Carers Week is October 15-21.
To celebrate there are more than 40 regional events being held, supported by the Queensland Government. Visit www.carersweek.com.au for details. A LETTER by David Tape from the Queensland Bus Industry Council noted 63 per cent of travellers used bus transport in the southeast so “clearly buses are the preferred mode of public transport” (Your Views, 21/10).
This being so, and as we already have a great bus service from the Gold Coast Hwy through Burleigh and direct to the GC Airport, where passengers are dropped outside the terminal, would the powers-thatbe please desist in their plans to run a tramline through Burleigh?
It is not warranted nor wanted. Leave beautiful Burleigh alone!
It is one of the Gold Coast’s gems and does not deserve to be subjected to the upheaval that would be involved if the tramline should proceed. Don’t destroy Burleigh’s ambience. THE breathtaking hypocrisy and greed of politicians like Senator Sarah Hanson-Young have come back to bite us all now we are told to prepare for power restrictions.
While they preach renewable energy, the government both State and Federal have failed us all by kowtowing to the minority on the issue of sustainable electricity and gas supplies.
Climate change? Does anyone really believe these so-called “Greens” actually care?
Hanson-Young and her mates are chauffeur-driven in limos to the airport and go home and have hot showers and use their aircons.