Carers Australia defines carers as “people who provide unpaid care and support to family members and friends who have a disability, mental illness, chronic condition, terminal illness, an alcohol or other drug issue or who are frail aged.”⁴

The term “carer” does not only mean physical care giving, it is also the emotional, mental, social, day-to-day support provided to a loved one. To ensure that carers can receive the support needed for their caring duties it is of utmost importance to first help those who are carers recognise and accept this title. It is hard to acknowledge that the support given to a loved one has a designated label, but once this is identified, it allows the carer to also access needed support.

Being a carer is a generous and commendable role, requiring a tremendous about of time, energy, dedication and compassion to navigate the many emotional and physical challenges involved in supporting someone in need.

In 2022, it was found that there were almost three million carers across Australia, making up 11% of the population, who provide up to 2.2 billion hours of informal care each year¹. The cost of replacing this care was found to be valued at $77.9 billion¹. Almost a third of primary carers were found to provide care up to 40 hours per week or more. Due to the amount of time carers are spending providing care, 40% of these carers rely on government allowance as their main source of income¹.

The demand for informal care has also been predicted to increase by 23% from 2020–2030³. With the growing need for carers, it is important to have strong support systems to enhance and foster positive wellbeing for all involved.

Carers are often putting others needs before their own, with 72.4% spending less time with family and friends than they would have liked, and 82.9% spending less time engaging in recreational activities in 2024². Similar statistics were found for those carers that are also juggling paid employment, with 69.8% not satisfied with their ability to fully participate in the workforce².

Carers of unwell veterans face unique burdens, such as secondary trauma⁵ and limited support networks. With approximately one every five veterans discharged from the Australian military due to medical reasons⁶, the number of carers needed to provide care to the accumulated number of medically discharged veterans continues to grow. Without a deeper understanding of their challenges and stronger support systems, we risk facing a hidden crisis. The invaluable contributions of veteran carers  should be recognised. We should work together to create a more supportive and compassionate society for both veteran carers and those they care for.

If you would like to contribute to research on the costs and well-being of caregivers in military families in Australia, please share your lived experience in this 100% anonymous survey.
Get started here: Carers Survey

1. Gender equality and caring wgea.gov.au
2. carersaustralia.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Final-CWS-2024-Report-compressed.pdf
3. Caring for others and yourself: Carer Wellbeing Survey 2024 report. Mylek, M. and Schirmer, J. 2024. Prepared by the WellRes Unit, Health Research Institute, University of Canberra for Carers Australia.
4. Who is a Carer www.carersaustralia.com.au
5. Bride BE, Figley CR. Secondary Trauma and Military Veteran Caregivers. Smith College Studies in Social Work. 2009/12/01 2009;79(3-4):314-329
6. Kelsall H, Sim M, Benassi H, et al. Physical health status report, mental health and wellbeing transition study. 2018