The Secret Life of Carers

Elizabeth is a war widow and former carer to her late husband, Lindsay, who passed away in 2002 at the age of 78. Lindsay served in the Second World War as a leading aircraftman in the RAAF, serving in New Guinea and Borneo. He volunteered to assist with the repatriation of Australian prisoners of war from the infamous Changi POW camp in Japanese-occupied Singapore. Elizabeth and Lindsay were married for 30 years, having four children together before ill-health and war injuries caught up with Lindsay in later life, seeing Elizabeth become his full time carer.

Caroline was just finding her feet as a defence partner when her defence member, Daniel, was medically downgraded in 2023. As far as Caroline is concerned, the couple was medically discharged from the forces together. This gave rise to a whole new set of health implications and challenges. These included finding new healthcare providers in a new location with an understanding of veteran culture and medical reporting requirements under the Department of Veterans Affairs. And navigating not only full-time but new employment as a partner.

Jo-anna began identifying as a carer when her family needed to take time off to look after her husband, Peter. Peter started to become noticeably unwell after returning from Afghanistan. This progressively became worse over the next few years, and like a lot of veterans, it took Peter a long time to acknowledge something was wrong. It has been a long road for Jo-anna and Pete and they share their story to help others.

Lidia is the wife and carer of her veteran husband. She's also the carer of her daughter. Based in Adelaide, Lidia has engaged with services and support including Carers South Australia and she joins the podcast to share some insights about the practicalities of assistance available to carers.

This episode is a little different. Our guest today is Julia's husband, Jai. He joins the podcast to chat about his and Julia's experience as a couple where the wife is a partner-carer to him as a veteran, but where the roles have also been reversed at times.

Jess talks about her family's experience as a dual-serving veteran family with an additional needs child and how this unique dynamic shapes their family life and caregiving responsibilities. Jess discusses misconceptions about this unique dynamic and educates others about her family's experiences.

The next season of The Secret Life of Carers focuses on defence members and their partner/carers, so Jamila Rizvi has passed the hosting mic to Julia Michel (founder of The Home Post community) who will share her expertise and lived experience as a defence partner and carer.

Kids are always growing and changing; so too are the services and  programs which support them to thrive. In this episode, we hear from  Steph and Merin, two professionals who reflect on how the early  childhood early intervention space has changed over the last decade, and  what this means for children, carers, and their families.

Finding and learning how to use supports that work for a family can be  challenging. Often, it's a matter of trial and error - and these needs  can change as a child grows. In this episode we hear from Jasmin, a  proud Guugu Yimithirr descendant who reflects on how the right supports  gave her son Lukey the tools to find his voice. In celebration of  International Women's Day, Jasmin reflects on being both a mum and a  carer.

Finding the right supports which work for children, their families, and  their carers can transform lives. Even though two children might have  the same formal diagnosis, their support needs can be very different! In  this episode we hear from Robert, a dad who cares for his son Shaun,  along with occupational therapist Kat, discussing how to get the right  early intervention supports in place.

Seeking answers and formal diagnosis for kids looks very different for  every family. The process can be a long and confusing road with many  carers wondering where to start, who to talk to, and what to do. In this  episode we hear from Millie, a mum who cares and advocates for her twin  daughters as they search for answers.

Doris is a mental health carer based in Western Sydney where she works  in the disability sector. She provides remote care to her Nan in Fiji  and is also primary carer for her dear friend, Mamasan, who lives in a  Sydney nursing home. Doris reflects on her many caring roles throughout  her life and the role culture plays in developing her love for caring.

Gee is a family support worker from Melbourne who grew up as a young  carer for her sister, Emma. Emma lives with depression and Gee was a  part of her support network throughout high school and university.

For Meredith, coffee is the fuel that keeps her and a team of Sydney  parents going, while they sit in cars outside their teenagers' schools.  Many of these students experience complex mental illness and having  their parents nearby is an additional safety net to the in-school  supports available. Meredith is a carer for her daughter, Gabrielle.  Gabrielle experiences complex mental distress with several diagnoses and  an extensive medication regime.

Lachlan is a mental health carer to his partner, Freya, but he didn't  realise he was a carer until he found out about this podcast. His day  job is in early education and his caring role involves supporting Freya  as they work and complete a double degree in biology and statistics.

Miah is a 20-year-old Kamilaroi woman from Canberra. Miah cares for her  two teenage sisters (Nina and Ruby). Ruby experiences significant  anxiety and Nina finds it difficult to regulate her emotions due to  depression. Nina is currently living with Miah 6 days a week.