During National Carers Week, Emerge Australia would like to acknowledge and thank all those who extend care and support to the 250,000 Australians impacted by ME/CFS. Nationally, 2.65 million Australians provide care for others, making you part of a large community.
The theme for this year’s celebration is Millions of Reasons to Care. Most people who provide care don’t see themselves as carers, they instead see themselves as parents, partners, children, extended family members or friends. No matter what role you identify as your contribution makes a difference in the life of the person you care for.
As shared by ME/CFS carer Lynne, caring for a person with ME/CFS can be life-changing but there is a community of support available to you;
“Some days are overwhelming and they will pass. Reach out, this community is incredibly caring, resourceful and innovative.”
Today we were pleased to launch a dedicated Carers page on our website, with a range of factsheets and links to tools to support carers throughout their caring journey. This work, and the recently launched extension of our Online Community Groups program which offers peer support groups for carers, is funded by the Victorian Government under their Supporting Carers Locally grant.
Finally, Emerge Australia will be re-launching a dedicated carers section in our Forums. We would love to see our wonderful carers log on and introduce themselves or please feel free to just log on and have a look. Make sure you check in regularly to the Emerge Australia website with more features, information and forums becoming available in the near future, as the Emerge Australia team continues to work hard in this space.
To all carers in the ME/CFS community including people who live with ME/CFS and care for others, a big “thank you” from everyone here at Emerge Australia for your ongoing support and all that you do day in day out. Happy National Carers Week!
