Celebrating National Carers Week
National Carers Week is fast approaching and it gives us the opportunity to raise awareness about the important role and the wonderful support that carers provide to individuals, and the community. We work alongside carers and see their hard work and endless dedication everyday, so we wanted to celebrate the outstanding contribution they make to our lives!
As part of National Carers Week we’re running a Facebook promotion to recognise and reward three outstanding Australian carers who look after a client, friend or family member who is permanently in a wheelchair.
Do you know an outstanding carer who deserves a bit of pampering?
One National winner will be named our ‘2017 Automobility Carer of the Year’ and will receive a deluxe 90-minute Revive spa package thanks to Endota (valued at $225), along with a beautiful bouquet of flowers. Two runners up will also receive a 30-minute Relax Express massage from Endota valued at $75 each. All the winners will receive a personalised certificate from Automobility in recognition of their outstanding contribution.
Simply visit and like our Facebook page and tell us in about 200 words why does your carer deserve to be recognised during National Carers Week? Email your answer, name, city and state, contact number and a recent photograph of you and your carer to before 12:00am on Sunday 15 October 2017 to enter. See full Terms and Conditions for all the details*.
Top Tips for Carers
It’s important to take care of your own health, especially when caring for someone else. When caught up in the vital role that carers play, they can often forget to take care of themselves.
To further support our valued carers, we’d like to make sure they look after themselves, too. Ultimately – one can only help others if we help ourselves!
Whether you’re a carer yourself, or you know a carer, here are some quick tips that may help create an all-round caring relationship:
1. Get out and do things for YOU!
We all have interests and hobbies and it is particularly important to pursue these outside of your role as a carer. If you’re a carer, try to manage your time and leave opportunities to get out-and-about, whether on your own or with friends/family.
If you find it difficult to leave the person your caring for, try talking with someone about how you’re feeling, and letting them know if you are feeling isolated or overwhelmed.
2. Be sure to eat well
Maintaining a healthy diet consisting of whole foods, fruit and vegetables will help boost and support your overall health in the long term, as well as fuelling your day and giving you the stamina you need to keep caring!
3. Get exercise regularly
There are endless reasons to why you should exercise regularly, such as maintaining cholesterol, weight management, reducing your risk of diabetes, strengthening muscles and bones, and –importantly – increasing serotonin levels, i.e. the happiness hormone!
Just 30 minutes of exercise daily will help to sustain the physical demands of your job as a carer, and can help to improve your overall mental health and quality of life.
4. Take regular breaks
Having breaks at work is vital. Workplace productivity decreases when concentration and output levels decrease. Make it your mission to take small breaks at regular intervals to give your body and mind a short reprieve from what can be a stressful job.
5. Learn to ask for (and accept) help!
Often carers are strong-minded superheroes, and sometimes reluctant to ask for help, or they may find it difficult to accept aid from others.
Help may come from your community, family, friends, even professionals or others within your network. Ask for help when you feel you need it, and don’t wait until you’re physically or mentally exhausted. Reaching out for help when you notice you need it shows strength of character, and is a sensible approach to best support your health, (and inevitably, the heath of the person whom you are caring for).
For more information on National Carers Week’s upcoming events, click here.
If you’d like to know more about what we do and the services we provide, read our recent story about how we helped make life easier for Christine.
Call us on 1300 660 773 or contact us online for an obligation-free vehicle demonstration.
