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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-10-19 Daily Xml
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National Carers Week

Ms THOMPSON (Davenport) (15:27): It is also a pleasure for me to speak today to acknowledge and celebrate National Carers Week. I would like to take this opportunity to express our deepest gratitude and appreciation for the tireless dedication and invaluable contributions of the more than 245,000 carers here in South Australia, some of whom are here today. Thank you, and thank you for joining us today.

We have heard a little bit about this today, but I was particularly surprised and impressed and just a little bit heartbroken to learn that of those 245,000 carers here in our state 30,000 are caring from the age of seven to 25. I met some of them recently and they are pretty outstanding individuals. As we heard from other speakers today, carers can be any age. We have carers who are parents, grandparents, partners, siblings, and of course children.

I think until you have been a carer or you have relied on one, it is difficult to comprehend just how much these people give of themselves, or yourselves when you are providing essential support and care to your loved ones. Their role extends far beyond the physical aspects of care, reaching into the realms of emotional support, companionship and understanding. In the quiet corners of our neighbourhoods, carers perform daily acts of kindness, often without recognition or applause. They sacrifice their own needs and desires to nurture and enhance the lives of those they assist, strengthening the fabric of our communities.

This Carers Week is a great opportunity to reflect on the immense impact that carers have on our lives. To share a little bit about my experience with carers, my stepfather never thought he would lose my mum so early on in their marriage. They were living the dream, travelling the world, often hosting big parties at their home. Mum was the life of every party. My stepdad never thought that she would lose the ability to walk and talk and feed herself. He never thought that he would become a carer, particularly so soon.

But he took on all those responsibilities. He ordered the equipment, dished out all the meds, changed her feeding tubes, showered her and on top of all that, and many other tasks that he never thought he would have to do, he had to keep it all together emotionally. His heart was breaking on the inside, but on the surface everything was fine. He put on a smile most days and he did everything he could to make sure my mum's days were as good as they could be, and I will be forever grateful for that.

He put her first and he stayed strong for her, and I know that that is a lot of what you all do for the people you care for, too. The compassion and kindness of carers is a continuous reminder to us that love knows no bounds and that together we can build a society where care and empathy are at the forefront.

I would like to acknowledge the good work of Carers SA, which does an amazing job in our state providing a number of services and essential support for carers. To all carers out there in our state and who are here today, we extend our heartfelt appreciation and deepest thanks for your selfless service. You inspire us to be more compassionate in everything that we do.

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