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Melbourne, VICTORIA

Video helps carers choose respite services

When staff at Melbourne's Southern Region Carer Respite Centre decided to produce a video to market the benefits of respite, they called for the help of Australian actor Bud Tingwell and the Department of Veteran's Affairs.

Respite Helps You Find the Balance, a 17-minute video narrated by Bud and featuring stories of real-life carers, was produced by Fran Haarsma Productions and marketed by Ideas That Work as a tool to educate the community about carer respite options.

"There are many, many people who can be classified as carers - anyone who looks after a person who is frail-aged, suffers from dementia, who has a chronic illness or is disabled." says Southern Regional centre manager Deb Burns. "Carer respite is a relatively new thing, so we needed to let people know that it existed."

The respite centre chose Bud Tingwell to present the video because of his high profile amongst members of Australia's older generations. He was a carer, a World War II veteran and a well-known actor.

"There are many, many people who can be classified as carers - anyone who looks after a person who is frail-aged, suffers from dementia, who has a chronic illness or is disabled," says Southern Region centre manager Deb Burns. "Carer respite is a relatively new thing, so we needed to let people know that it existed."

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"His endorsement of respite as an essential part of caring has encouraged carers to consider seeking out the service," Deb says.

Workers at the Southern Region Carer Respite Centre worked closely with the Department of Veterans' Affairs to prepare their grant application and a focus group of carers and staff was established to oversee the video's production.

"We put in place a strategy so people could access the video. They were promoted through magazines, newspapers and at health service conferences. They were also distributed free of charge to carer respite centres, libraries, Veteran's Affairs Network offices and to ex-service groups statewide. We even loaned copies out so families could take them home and have a look."

Deb says the video has helped provide some options for carers and the people they care for by making them aware of respite options. These include in-home services, day centres, residential care and holiday and emergency respite.

"Respite care is about giving carers time to themselves so they can restore the balance in their lives," Deb says. "Through this video, we have been able to help them achieve that."

The importance of taking a break - 1800 059 059

Project: production of a video, starring actor Bud Tingwell, to promote carer respite options.

Grant value: $47,293

Community benefits: community awareness of respite options, leading to reduced social isolation and improved quality of life for carers of veterans and veteran carers.

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