Carers of people with disability, mental illness, alcohol or drug dependency, terminal illness, frail aged or chronic illness have worse physical and mental health outcomes as compared to the general population.
GPs are in the best position to identify carers early and ensure access to health and other services.
There is emerging evidence that caring itself is a social determinant of health.
Additionally, involving carers in treatment planning for the person they care for leads to better outcomes.
Carers NSW, the peak organisation for carers in NSW, is offering a free 60-minute interactive online workshop to provide general practice staff with practical steps to identify carers earlier, involve them appropriately in care, and connect them to support, helping improve continuity of care for patients and carers.
Carers are present in every general practice, yet they often go unnoticed or unrecognised. Around one in eight people is a carer, supporting treatment adherence of the patient attending the GP, attending appointments, and managing day-to-day care. However, many do not identify themselves as carers or access available supports until they are already overwhelmed. For many, general practice is the first place where the strain of caring may be noticed. Early identification can support better planning, clearer follow-up and fewer avoidable escalations for both the patient and the family or friend carer. The session will explore common scenarios encountered in general practice, demonstrate best-practice approaches, and equip attendees with practical tools to identify, engage, and refer carers to appropriate supports and support better clinical outcomes for both care recipients and carers.
Designed to be both informative and interactive, this workshop aims to build staff confidence to recognise carers in everyday consults and practice workflows, supporting clearer carer planning and continuity of care, without adding unnecessary work to already busy teams.
By the end of this webinar, you will be able to:
Identify a diverse range of carers earlier within general practice settings
Recognise the impact of caring on a person’s health and wellbeing
Identify ways to partner with carers in general practice
Initiate appropriate referrals for carers to improve health outcomes and continuity of care
Apply practical strategies that support carer inclusion in healthcare
URL: https://analytics-au.clickdimensions.com/cn/aosfc/GCAP100226