Issue No.114: Right now, it’s 1 in 8 Australians. But soon, it could be you

When you picture a “carer,” who comes to mind? A nurse in aged care? A daughter looking after her mum with Alzheimer’s? A young man supporting his disabled brother? In reality, carers in Australia are all of these people, and many more.

I am in what’a termed ‘the sandwich generation’, people still working full time while also caring for elderly relatives, and grand-parenting babies and toddlers. We’re doing it all!

Right now, more than 3 million Australians are carers, representing about 12% of our population. This includes both formal care workers in aged care, disability support, community health, and informal carers: family, friends, and neighbours who provide daily support.

Together, their contribution is valued at around $110 billion every year almost the size of Australia’s entire federal health budget. Without them, our health and social system would simply collapse.

For instance, most older Australians rely on family first. Around 80% of those needing assistance turn primarily to informal carers rather than formal services. This reliance will only grow as demand for care outstrips supply.

Tipping Point for Caring

Australia is ageing fast. In less than 20 years, one in five Australians will be over 65, with numbers over 85 set to skyrocket. Dementia cases alone are projected to climb to nearly 1 million by 2050.

Put simply: the future of care in Australia will rely more, not less, on all of us.

Caring will touch almost every one of us at some point. Building our wellbeing now is the best way to prepare, but too often people who give endlessly to others neglect their own wellbeing, until exhaustion, burnout or illness catches up.

Self-care isn’t an indulgence, it’s essential. Research shows that when carers prioritise their own health, through movement, nutrition, rest and social connection, they are more resilient and able to sustain their role for longer.

Put Your Own Mask on First

The ‘care economy’ is the quiet giant of Australia’s future. Governments will struggle to meet demand, businesses will face pressure to support employee-carers and communities will have to step up.

But here’s the hopeful side: if we invest in carers, through better support, recognition and wellbeing practices, we don’t just improve their lives. We strengthen families, workplaces and entire neighbourhoods.

The question isn’t whether caring will define the future of Australia, it will. The question is whether we’ll value carers enough to ensure they thrive while they hold the rest of us up.

We have many Be Well Members who are working in care or managing caring responsibilities. They possess extraordinary resilience, empathy and adaptability, the very qualities we all need as the world changes.

It’s also why our philosophy and approach at Be Well is designed to support not just physical strength, but also emotional, mental and spiritual resilience. We believe that by caring for ourselves, we create the capacity to care for others.

So this coming Carers Week we are offering carers in our area a free recovery session at Be Well.

If you want to thank or treat someone you know is a carer, send them along to Be Well and we will happily look after them!

Look forward to seeing you at Be Well again soon.