IT'S National Carers Week but what difference will that make to the day of a carer? Very little if Carers Queensland's Quality of Life Audit Report for 2017 holds true.
The report, just released, found carers, on average, are lucky to get 26 minutes of "me time" each day, while 24 per cent struggle to find an hour to themselves in a full week.
When asked how they spent that precious time-out, most turn to a coffee or meal out with friends or family, watching TV or a movie, reading, sleeping or gardening. About 23 per cent unwind with social media.
One-third of survey participants consider paying bills, making appointments and fulfilling other admin as me-time.
Only 448 carers - from the 474,300 unpaid family carers in Queensland - responded to the survey. They alone, in the seven days prior to the survey, individually had provided between 97 and 112 hours of unpaid support.
Carers Queensland chair Jim Toohey says an ageing population, often with chronic or debilitating disease or disability, and fewer publicly provided formal support services, puts increasing pressure on family members to be carers.
He says that with more support from friends and family - as well as communities and policy makers - a real difference can be made to preserve carers' strength, wellbeing and social connectedness.
