One in ten Australians are informal carers (equivalent to 11% of the Australian Population) are informal carers for friends, family or loved ones. 

We’ve compiled a number of helpful tips to create a safer home environment for everyone living in the household. 

Creating a safe home environment 

We would always recommend an assessment of your home, beyond this there are simply everyday tasks you can do to adjust the home to support your loved one or the person you’re caring for to avoid accidents.  

Prioritising these two themes will reduce the risk of potential injury and alleviate the burden for carers.  

Tips for creating a safe home environment include:  

  • Removing trip hazards like loose rugs and ensuring clear hallways, doorways, and walkways. 

  • Ensuring good lighting, especially in stairs, entryways and hallways.  

  • Getting specific matting or vinyl to create non-slip surfaces in high-risk areas like the shower and bathroom. 

You could also organise an assessment of your home, at which time they may recommend home modifications including:

  • Installing guard rails, grab rails and tactile elements on stairs. 

  • Adding ramps or even installing an elevator if the living space is across multiple levels. 

Meal prepping and being organised 

Eating the right types of food will help you and your loved one remain healthy. It’s no secret that being healthy goes a long way to positively impacting your physical and mental wellbeing. To avoid snacking and to steer your loved ones in the right dietary direction, consider prepping meals in advance, consulting with the person you’re caring for as to what  food that they like and can eat comfortably. 

TIP: If you’ve got an existing Home Care Package, ask your provider about the HCP Meal subsidy where your Home Care Package funds can cover up to 70% of the cost of the meal (depending on the meal provider) this includes the meals as well as the delivery to your door. 

Establish boundaries and respect privacy 

Boundaries are an essential part of engaging in healthy connections. That’s why it is important to respect the privacy of care recipients by establishing boundaries. It’s not always easy to have differences between being a loved one and a carer, but knowing the difference in company positively impacts feelings of value and importance. Some broad tips that will help include:  

  • Prioritising your own needs and setting clear guidelines for care 

  • Openly communicating whilst putting effort into listening and understanding 

  • Respecting different need, values, beliefs and cultures

Take care of yourself with Professional Respite support 

We work alongside carers every day in different capacities, but, mostly, carers appreciate the range of respite services we offer, delivered by experienced team members which allows the carer a short break in their day to manage their personal commitments and others that they care for (such as young families).  

Your local friendly Just Better Care office can talk to you about respite support services, Respite support can be provided on a temporary or ongoing basis and can be as little as one hour a week, or up to 24/7 support from both Support Workers, Nurses and other healthcare professionals. 

Some of our more popular respite support services include:

  • Assistance at social events
  • Shopping
  • Meal preparation 
  • Nursing support
  • Personal care
  • Help around the Home