COVID-19 Impact on Carers - Make your voice heard

Section 1

Tell us briefly about who you care for and the care you provide

Who are you caring for?

The person/s I care for:

has a disability
has a mental ill health problem
has a medical problem (including an ongoing problem or an illness that will end in death)
is frail because they are old (known as ‘frail aged’)
has an alcohol/other drug problem

What is the age of the person/s you care for?

Under 12 years old
12-17 years old
18-24 years old
25-34 years old
35-44 years old
45-54 years old
55-64 years old
65-74 years old
75 years or older

Are you, or the person/s you care for, in one of the high-risk categories for contracting the Coronavirus?

High risk categories include those who: are frail aged; have weakened Immune system; have a diagnosed chronic medical conditions (such as high blood pressure, heart and lung conditions, kidney disease and diabetes; and aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

Yes, the person/s I care for is/are in the risk category
Yes, I am in a high-risk category
No

What are the risk factors for the person you care for?

Frail aged
Weakened immune system
Diagnosed chronic medical conditions (such as high blood pressure, heart and lung conditions, kidney disease and diabetes)
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

What are your risk factors?

Frail aged
Weakened immune system
Diagnosed chronic medical conditions (such as high blood pressure, heart and lung conditions, kidney disease and diabetes)
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

Do you have any other family members that can assist you on short notice?

Yes
No

Do you have contingency plans in place should you become ill and cannot care for the person whom you provide care?

Yes
No

What is the main barrier for not having a contingency plan?

I don’t think anyone else could provide the level of care I do
The level of care required is complex, and I do not feel confident in allowing someone else to step in
I don’t think the services are there anymore
My needs are not important enough to worry anyone about
I don’t want to be a burden on other people
There isn’t anyone else that can help step in for me
Other reason

Please specify

Section 2

Impact of coronavirus restrictions on your caring role

Approximately how many hours were you providing care for (per week) before COVID-19?

0-10
11-20
21-30
31-40
41-50
51-60
60+

Has the amount of care you provide increased since the start of the Coronavirus outbreak?

Yes
No

How many extra hours in care are you now providing (per week)?

The amount of care has increased because:

Not only do I look after someone as an unpaid carer, I am also home schooling my children (school/day care has closed)
Local services have been reduced/closed
I am worried about paid health and social care staff having contact with the person I care for
Paid health and social care staff have reduced personal care
My paid working arrangements have changed so I have more time
I find I am on high alert to any additional needs required by the person I care for and feel the need to always be there
Other reason

Please specify

What types of care have increased?

Tick each answer that relates to you

Please specify

Has the increase in care you provide reduced your time for other family members?

Yes
No

In your role as a carer, have your expenses increased since the start of the coronavirus outbreak?

Yes
No

What are you needing to spend more money on?

Tick all that apply to you

Food
Household bills
Technology/internet to keep in touch with the person I care for
Equipment for the person I care for
Social care support
Fuel for transport
My expenses have increased, but I am not able to spend more, due to my financial capacity

Have your hours of employment reduced to provide extra support in your caring role?

Yes
No, I haven’t needed to reduce my hours
No, I would like to, but we can’t afford to
I don't work
I have retired

How many hours did you reduce per week?

Have you sleeping habits changed since COVID-19 restrictions were introduced?

Yes
No

How many hours of sleep per night would you say you are losing?

Are you concerned about being able to continue your caring role safely, in terms of your own health and wellbeing, during the Coronavirus pandemic and the current restrictions?

Have you contacted your GP for support?

Yes
No

Have you been able to use telehealth appointments (vid phone or videolink)?

Yes
No
Does not apply to me

Have you used technology to connect with family and friends?

Yes
No

Please select all that apply

I would like to, but don't know how
I would like to but don’t have internet
I would like to but don’t have the equipment
I just don’t want to use technology

Are there frequent times when you feel:

Select all that apply to you

Lonely
Isolated
Unsupported
Frightened
Forgotten
Emotionally drained
Prefer not to answer

Feel free to share your story of what happened to you, as a carer, since coronavirus restrictions commenced.

Section 3

Looking forward to when coronavirus restrictions are lifted

Are you concerned about continuing our caring role safely once restrictions are lifted?

No, I'm not concerned at all	I'm a little concerned	I am concerned and worry on a daily basis

After restrictions lift, do you feel confident that you and the person you care for will be able to return back to your ‘normal’ routines?

Yes, I am confident	I have some reservations	I am not confident

How has caring thought a pandemic impacted your assessment of your perfomance in your caring role?

I have all the skills and knowledge I need to provide care
There are some areas where I would like more knowledge or skills

To be prepared for the future I would like to

Select all that apply

Have a better understanding of services I can access as a carer
To have improved and inclusive communication processes in place between medical and/or hospital staff
Be able to provide better personal care (such as showering, lifting, turning in bed) without injuring myself
Improve my budgeting skills to plan for the future
Be connected to other carers
Be connected to my local community

What would help you after COVID-19 restrictions lift?

Select all that apply

Talking with a counsellor that understands the caring role
Connecting with other carers
Confidence/reassurance in knowing that I can go out safely
Improving my knowledge and skills about parts of my caring role
Support to get services going for the person I care for
Support with the bills I have received
Securing a job
Assistance with connecting the internet

What was your experience using technology during the COVID-19 restrictions?

No problems, I am comfortable using computers, phones, and the internet
I just got by, but my knowledge isn't as good as it could be
I struggled and hardly used it
I did not use it at all

What would improve your use of the internet and technology to help you in your caring role?

Back to employment - what is needed to get you back to where you were?

Nothing, I lost my job
Nothing, my job is still there

Which of these services might assist you?

Select all that apply

Support to update your resume
Help with applying for jobs and doing interviews
Planing my next steps for a job
Getting the skills to continue in my career
Learning new skills to get a different type of job
Other

Please specify

How long will it take you to get back to where you were with your job?

As soon as restrictions lift
1-2 weeks after restrictions lift
3-4 weeks after restrictions lift
I don't know

Do you have other thoughts or ideas on what carers need to recover from the coronavirus restrictions and increase wellbeing in their caring roles?

Enter the draw to win a 200$ Woolworths gift voucher!

Thank you so much for taking the time to complete yet another survey. It is vital that your voice is heard and we understand your situation, so that action can be taken. As a thanks we're inviting you to enter the draw to win a 200$ Woolworths gift voucher. All you have to do is fill out your details in the fields below to be eligible to win.

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COVID-19 Impact on Carers - Make your voice heard

Road to Recovery Survey

Section 1

Section 2

Section 3

Enter the draw to win a 200$ Woolworths gift voucher!

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