Do you care for an older person with dementia? Would you like to join a free program from home and meet others in similar circumstances?
The Caring for Carers of People with Dementia Project links carers of older people with dementia to other carers living in regional and rural Australia. Carers join a weekly group videoconference meeting from their home and connect with other carers in a relaxed and informal atmosphere.
The information and chat meetings are led by an experienced facilitator, Dr Annie Banbury, and run for six weeks. Group programs have now started and will be offered through to May 2019.
Carers need to be connected to the internet. The program is free, apart from charges from your internet service provider for data usage. Carers will be offered a $50 voucher to cover internet charges at the completion of their involvement with the project. They will also go into the draw to win one of five tablets. Carers are encouraged to use their own desktop computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone. If needed, the project can loan a tablet for these sessions. Carers do not need to stop any other programs or services that they are involved in.
The Caring for Carers program is being offered by Central Queensland University’s Caring for Carers of People with Dementia Project, which has received Australian Government Dementia and Aged Care Services funding. The project will gather information about the response of isolated carers of older people with dementia to a videoconference-based, outreach information and peer support program. A summary of the information gathered from the project will be available for participants when the project is finished.
The project team is keen to hear from carers who would like to participate. To register or learn more, please contact the project at [email protected] or phone Karen Nixon on 0427 812 156 or Kristen Forster on 0437 579 695.
You can also register your interest online at cqu.edu.au/caringforthecarers.