Looking After Ourselves

2. Looking After Ourselves Colleen Sheen, Carers NSW Carers NSW 2011 Biennial Conference Sydney March 2011

3. Looking After Ourselves Kevin Duncan 09

4. Looking After Ourselves • Is a train the trainer program for Aboriginal carers and service providers • It can be delivered as a complete program or in separate modules • It includes a facilitator guide, a carer workbook and a DVD-CD Rom

5. Background • Carers NT developed the original program • As a response to Aboriginal carers in a remote community • It was developed as an action research program with the community and an Aboriginal Aged Care Centre • As a Chronic Condition Self-management type program

6. Program modules • Five modules • Carers and caring • Exercise for health and ‘Looking After Me’ action plan • Healthy eating and good rest • Better breathing and learn to relax • Talking and listening, health checks and problem solving

7. Carers NSW adaptation • Carers NSW piloted the program for a NSW environment • an advisory committee oversaw the pilot • Aboriginal carers and communities participated in the pilot • Coffs Harbour and Port Macquarie • Wyong Aboriginal Carer Support Group • Babana Aboriginal Men’s Group Redfern • Mt Druitt

8. Outcomes NSW pilot • Diverse ages and caring situations in pilot groups • 30 women, 4 males (plus Babana) • Diverse ages • Caring for aged parent, grandchild with disability, partner, children with intellectual disability, adult child with mental illness, sibling with disability • Multiple caring situations

9. Outcomes NSW pilot • Low knowledge level in most sessions, including service providers • Carers looking after themselves • Healthy eating • Relaxation • Pictorial training module format • Good feel about the program • Health and wellbeing topics simply explained • DVD supports the training modules • Carers who had some knowledge could be used as peer co-trainer

10. Outcomes NSW pilot • Benefits • Pictorial training module format • Good feel about the program • Health and wellbeing topics simply explained • DVD supports the training modules • Disadvantages • Language too ‘dumbed down’ for NSW • Pictorial training image too young for NSW • DVD too focused on remote and young carers • DVD doesn’t use real people

11. Carers NSW program • Includes • Trainers handbook • Trainers PowerPoint presentation • DVD-CD Rom for trainers and Aboriginal carers • NSW Aboriginal carers and communities involved in DVD-CD Rom • Narrator is Karla Grant, SBS Living Black • Images from Aboriginal Carer Kit (Caring for our People) incorporated • Carers NSW Aboriginal carer resources incorporated • Aboriginal Carers Relaxation CD soundtrack and artwork

12. Looking After Ourselves This training for you is made to: • Help you focus on your own issues of health and wellbeing • Look at ways to help you manage your caring role

13. Looking After Ourselves Session 1 Carers and Caring Session 2 Looking after Me Session 3 Healthy Eating and Good Rest Session 4 Better Breathing and Learn to Relax Session 5 Talking and listening to people, health checks and problem solving

14. Cooking Cleaning Changing the bed Bathing Dressing Feeding Shopping Giving medications Giving emotional support Prompting Going to appointments with the person you care for Helping the person during the night Speaking out for that person What Carers might do

15. How does Caring affect you? • Many people have similar problems. • Caring can be really demanding and sometimes we can feel that we are caught up in a Worry Circle.

16. Worry Circle

17. Worry Circle • Confused • Tired • Sad • Tense Muscles • Sore/Pain • Frustrated • Short Winded • Angry

18. Cooking Cleaning Changing the bed Bathing Dressing Feeding Shopping Giving medications Giving emotional support Prompting Going to appointments with the person you care for Helping the person during the night Speaking out for that person What Carers might do

19. Looking After Ourselves Session 2 Looking after me

20. Carer Staying Healthy Wheel Carer Staying Healthy Wheel Carer Staying Healthy Wheel Carer Staying Healthy Wheel Regular respite Regular respite Regular respite Regular respite Exercise Exercise Exercise Exercise Solve problems Solve problems Solve problems Solve problems Eat well Eat well Eat well Eat well What carers need to do to stay healthy Make some time for yourself! What carers need to do to stay healthy Make some time for yourself! What carers need to do to stay healthy Make some time for yourself! What carers need to do to stay healthy Make some time for yourself! Regular Health Checks Regular Health Checks Regular Health Checks Regular Health Checks Get enough rest Get enough rest Get enough rest Get enough rest Talk to People - tell your story Talk to People - tell your story Talk to People - tell your story Talk to People - tell your story Relaxation Relaxation Relaxation Relaxation Breathing Exercise Breathing Exercise Breathing Exercise Breathing Exercise

21. Carers Staying Healthy • talk to people – tell your story • have a break – regular respite • have a health check • solve problems MAKE SOME TIME FOR YOURSELF! • exercise • eat well • get enough rest • relax • breathing exercises

22. EXERCISE • helping you sleep • your balance • reducing tiredness We do exercise because it’s good for: • heart and lungs • being short winded • bending easier • losing weight/maintain weight

23. Three things to think about when doing exercise B. Stretching • helps loosen muscles • to bend easier and • helps balance

24. Three things to think about when doing exercise C. Strengthening • makes you stronger • good for your bones and • helps prevent osteoporoses

26. Highlights • Aboriginal carers involvement and recognition • DVD-CD Rom participation • All participants receive NSW Local Carer Awards • Aboriginal carers and service providers want to use program in local communities • Carers NSW will deliver facilitator training in May-June 2011