Abstract

Author(s):

Anne Muldowney

Affiliations:

Carers Victoria

While the psychological and physical impacts of caring have been extensively documented for many years, addressing carer’s physical health has received significantly less attention in both research and practice than interventions targeted at psychological health. More than a third of Australia’s 2.7 million carers live with chronic illness and disability and many spend more than 10 hours a day on health-related activity, caring for both others and themselves.

While research demonstrates physical activity has psychological benefits for people of all ages, the benefits may be less certain for people caring for a relative or friend with an illness or disability, given the time-consuming and often stressful nature of the caring role.

Significant change in Commonwealth carer support services is scheduled for 2019, promising to deliver a range of low-cost, effective, preventative services with a proven ability to improve carer quality of life.

This presentation will include an overview of the limited evidence on the effectiveness of interventions to address carer physical health needs, including low intensity interventions with carers and people receiving care. There is emergent evidence that carer supports should include physical health promotion, such as offering opportunities for physical activity, nutrition and preventive health care visits. These may potentially also offer more cost-effective options to improve carer psychological health than more intensive mental health interventions. Emergent and promising practice examples of low-cost carer physical activity interventions will also be featured.

Emphasis will be given to the importance of recognising carers as health consumers, as well as partners in care. While implications for health professional practice in working with consumers and carers will be discussed, further research is required to address the personal and systemic barriers to carer participation in health promotion activities.