Carers at risk of exhaustion says support organisation

That's according to David Panter, chief executive of aged care services and support provider ECH.

The South Australian not-for-profit organisation recently opened a new overnight respite facility at Henley Beach for carers and people living with dementia to address this shortage.

"Many people living alongside those with dementia often do not see themselves as carers or seek support in their role.

"Their selflessness can lead to them putting their own needs on hold and not taking the opportunity to take a break to do things they enjoy for themselves such as going out with friends and family or taking a holiday," Dr Panter said.

He said research shows that if carers do not take time out to re energise it can be very harmful to their physical and mental wellbeing.

"It can also be detrimental to the person they care for and have a residual effect on their broader family or support network," he added.

Dr Panter said one of the biggest barriers is the level of respite services available that meet the changing expectations and needs of people living with dementia.

"Traditionally, carer respite has been on a small scale in a non-residential setting. The difficulty with this is it often does not cater adequately for the specific needs of people living with dementia or provide operating hours that meet the needs of the carer.

"A well designed environment, planned with cognitive impairment in mind, can help maintain abilities and meaningful engagement by providing essential prompts, accessibility and reduce risks to support a person living with dementia."

He said understanding how a person living with dementia interacts with their physical surroundings is a key requirement in creating dementia enabling environments and must also be undertaken with the expectations of the carer in mind.

"At ECH, we have seen the immeasurable benefits of this approach with our recently opened overnight respite facility," he said.

During the design process elements such as colour, lighting, sound, signage, materials and surfaces were carefully considered to make the facility dementia-friendly.

"An enabling environment can make a significant difference to a person's independence, quality of life and wellbeing, ultimately encouraging them to lead a life as full as possible, and equally, will enable a carer to feel confident in taking a break," Dr Panter said.

The facility is located within ECH's Henley Beach Wellness Centre.