Caring beyond the now An NDIS Participant Readiness activity funded by the Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services

Succession Planning Insert text here Mr and Mrs Junor’s story Lynne Junor tells us about her son, Mark, and his wife Melissa, and how they are using planning to reach their goals. ch?v=cNr2Kw55088

Australian Bureau of Statistics (2013)  95% of all parent carers live with the care recipient  56% of parent carers spent 40+ hours per week in the caring role Anglicare study (2014)  80% of parents worry about what would happen to their son/daughter, if they were unable to care  38% of carers identified conflict between themselves and the person they care for and support  10% of carers had received help with transition planning in previous 12 months  23% indicated that there was a good plan in place, for the person they care for and support

Why planning is really, really hard…  Discussing future care needs can be challenging and emotionally difficult; it’s easier to avoid the issue  Worry and uncertainty due to a lack of support options  Fear of deterioration in the quality of care  Concern that the future independence of the person with a disability will be compromised  Difficulty identifying care arrangements that would ensure the future happiness and security  Lack of support or guidance, including not knowing who to speak to or where to get help  Family discussions about future care arrangements can be a sensitive topic

Older carers don’t access services because…  Greater sense of self-reliance  Lack of understanding from professional workers of the problems they face  Struggles to get help in the past  Rejection of assistance in the past  Dissatisfaction with past or present service delivery  Deep sense of personal responsibility  Belief that requesting help is a sign of failure  Fear that drawing attention to their own difficulties could result in a withdrawal of services or loss of control over the care of their son/daughter

Living arrangements…can be ok for everyone!  1 in 4 carers identified the need for the person they care for and support to transition into a new permanent care arrangement  For families who have had a family member transition into alternative accommodation, their ongoing wellbeing is closely associated with that of the family member  Generally, if parents observe that their child’s quality of life is good, they will report that their own life is also good  Although carers experience increased guilt, worry and feelings of inadequacy, they also experience less exhaustion, sadness, anger, and resentment, and increased happiness, peace and hopefulness (Gardiner & Larocci, 2012)

What can I use to help me plan?

6 important things to consider when planning 1.Your will 2.Financial management order 3.Guardianship order 4.Power of attorney 5.Trusts 6.Social Security status

The difficult conversations…

Who can help me? Contact your local community legal centre As a general rule assistance provided by CLCs is free.

Carers Queensland Counselling Service Call the Carers Advisory Service

Questions???