Recognising our CarerHelp carers

“I found caring for Mum at the end of life, was an opportunity to care for her at a time when she needed me the most. It was also one way of respecting her wishes. It allowed me to spend precious, uninterrupted time with her.

Being knowledgeable and prepared can make the journey easier. This can be done by accessing reliable, credible, and up-to-date information when searching online.”

Carolyn, cared for her mother

My experience with grief

“For my family and I, providing palliative care to Jarrod in a home environment was the best thing we could have done. It’s not something that would be easy for everybody, but should definitely be considered as a serious option if circumstances will allow it. I really believe that it was a relatively easy process for us due to the amount of discussion and preparation we had done, and the unwavering belief I had along the way that Jarrod’s wishes were becoming a reality.”

Briony, cared for her husband

CarerHelp Insights: How we prepared to care at home

“The caring journey was challenging but the reward for me was being able to express my love for my Mum by helping her and doing everything necessary to make her comfortable. She was not someone who would ever ask for help or allow me to do this so I was grateful for the opportunity to give back to her after a lifetime of her looking after me!

I wish I knew more about the dying process and what to expect so that I was perhaps better prepared mentally. I also wish I knew how important it was to have the correct equipment in place from the outset.”

Jessica, cared for her mother

CarerHelp Insights: Top things I wished I knew when I began caring

“You treat each moment, each interaction, and each word as precious because every day is a gift waiting for you to open it and make some new memories.

I would say to get as much support and guidance as you can because you will get one chance to walk with your loved one through this very important journey.”

Imelda, cared for her husband

CarerHelp Insights: Rewards of caring

“In my experience, caring is one of the purest forms of love expressed physically, emotionally and psychologically. In caring for my husband, Ben, we were able to spend more quality time together and to do things together. In the midst of the uncertainty of living with a cancer diagnosis, being a carer gave me a sense of purpose that was fulfilling and grounding.”

Khang, cared for his husband

CarerHelp Insights: Providing care at the end of life

“Do not try to do everything. It is also important that you ensure your own self-care because if you don’t take care of yourself, how will you manage to be fully present and be able to stay the distance?”

Avi, cared for his wife

CarerHelp Insights: Pointers for new carers

“As her condition deteriorated, senior medical staff were excellent at keeping us informed. Because we were familiar with the complex and knew many of the staff, we already had good lines of communication and this was a great help.”

Linda, cared for her mother

CarerHelp Insights: Moving Mum into aged care - Lessons and considerations