How To Care For Carers

I think it’s really important to be diverse and cover the stories of lots of different people. I’ve never been a carer (yet - it may happen at some point) but I used to be a special ed teacher so I’ve had more than a usual amount of contact with carers.

Currently, there are more than 2.65 million carers in Australia, which means about 1 in 11 people in Australia are carers. In the UK, it’s closer to 8 million. 

This week’s guest is Penny Wincer - she’s been a carer for both her mother and her Autistic son. She’s written a book called Tender about the challenges of being a carer. Let me tell you, this book is a doozy. I thought it was really important to shed some light on the lives of carers and also offer some words of comfort for those who are carers through the words of Penny. This episode also touches on how we can better support our carer friends. 

In this episode, we chat about… 

• Penny’s experience of being a caregiver twice 

• Reluctance of carers to be labeled as carers 

• The importance of protecting the privacy of the people being cared for VS the need for carers to connect and talk about their experiences, often publicly through storytelling

• Ableism and how able-bodied people can avoid participating in and perpetuating it

• Inspiration porn and how to avoid promoting it

• Tips for carers who might be struggling 

• Asking yourself ‘What’s the kindest thing I can do for myself right now?’ If you’re a carer or you know someone who is a carer and you want to support them better, this episode is for you. 

Links 

Penny’s Book 

Show Notes 

Patreon 

Instagram 

  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.