Carer Wellbeing and Training Retreats

This assignment presents a study on the effectiveness of training retreats for carers. It explores how these retreats improve the wellbeing of participants through education, skill development, and interaction with other carers. The report includes participant feedback, identifies areas for improvement, and emphasizes the importance of continuous support for carers.

Report of 2017 Carers Retreat conducted by Pure Magic International Business
Solutions Pty Ltd
Introduction
According to research it likely that five will become carers in one point of their lives. This task
of caring comes with responsibility and some cherish this rewarding experience. In many cases
caring task have negative impact both on mental and physical wellbeing of an older person? This
may include depression which is persistent felling of sadness and mental wellbeing which is how
individual measure life scale both positive and negative feelings (English Longitudinal Study of
Ageing, 2007).
Princess Trust for Carers found that those age 60-69 years and are carer were at risk of emotional
distress. This was due to working for money at the same time caring their beloved. The research
also found that both male and female exposed to long term caring were at a higher risk of
depression. This depression resulted to some existing caring role.
Australian society health profile has undergone many variations over the last two decades.
Australian
Population has aged, with the incidence of disability and lingering illness increasing, and living
longer with disabilities (AIHW 2006a). As compared to other population group in Australia
carers has low income and lower living standard this result to poor health and wellbeing.
Methodology
The research applied experiment design where two cohorts were exposed to various training and
environment. The two cohorts were made of people who cared for those with challenges
associated with Ageing (such as Dementia and Alzheimer’s) and the second group was made up
of people taking care of those with Mental Health Issues. The two retreats were held at
Coolangatta Estate in South Sydney. The environment condition was relaxed and fit for
education. The workshops were design to train the participants the following dealing with stress,
enhancing their resilience and being more focused on self-care.
After being exposed to the following training the participants were asked to fill some
questionnaires on how the training was of help to them. The questions were asked pre training
and post training on well being of participants. The data was the entered in Excel 2007, cleaned
and analyzed. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze and visualize the data such as histogram
and bar chart.

Results and discussions
Retreat one
Part A; Aged/ Dementia carers
1. Description of Carers
18 to 30 years 31 to 40 years 41 to 50 years 61 to 70 years 71 to 80 years 81 years and
over
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
What is your age?
Age
The participants aged were between ages of 41- over 81 years with majority being in age bracket
of 71-80 years. The carers participated in the training were aged person. They provided care to
family member with chronic majority, threatening illness and few provided care to age spouses
and spouses with dementia, none took care of person less than 30 years with disability. The
participants attended the course mainly because they wanted to learn new skills and meet other
carers and establish friends, this may be need to release depression and hear from others as way
of relief. Majority of carers were females with responsibility of taking care their spouse who had
either dementia or illness.

Would like
information
on self care
To learn new
skills I have trouble
sleeping To learn
about stress
and resilience
Meet other
carers Make new
friends
0
2
4
6
8
10
Why did you choose to attend the
course? Please tick as many as
possible.
reason for participation
2. Important of information
Majority of those who participated in learning workshop found the session either very useful or
useful. The information acquire was rated very important in assisting them with caring duty.
None of the respondents was unsatisfied with the information provided by Caryn Walsh. The
participant found information provided by Caryn Walsh more satisfying as compared to the one
provided by commonwealth Respite and Carelink Centre. Although the whole information
delivered was satisfying.
1 = not
satisfied 2 3 = Satisfied 4 5 = Very
satisfied
0
2
4
6
8
10
Overall Satisfaction of Information
delivered
Information provided by Caryn Walsh
Information provided by Commonwealth Respite and Carelink Centre
Overall Satisfaction with the retreat
3. Course evaluation

0
2
4
6
8
Q1. Did the training meet its objectives
Did not meet expectations Met Expectations Exceeded Expectations Not Applicable
The training provided learning platform for carers, provided environment to provide social
inclusion, also strengthened and keep carers motivated in caring role and ability of accessing
other people. This will help to great positive wellbeing and reduce depression. All the
participants were happy and satisfy with the training.
Location Room Set up Room
temperature Room acoustics Appropriate use
of technology
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Q2a. Training Environment
Did not meet expectations Met Expectations
Exceeded Expectations Not applicable

Also the environment was conducive and relaxed to meet learning expectations. However the
respondents said that the length of course and time allocated for questions were not enough and
did not meet their expectations. The learning materials and procedure was good which meet the
carer expectations and majority of them termed the whole course above their expectations.
Part B; Pre and Post Retreat Wellbeing Evaluation
This part accessed the wellbeing of carer before training and after training to check if the training
was successful.
1. Resilience
Before training on average the carers had poor bounce part if faced by demanding issue in their
work, the workshops equipped the carers with necessary skills and majority felt that they were in
position to deal with resilience.
On a scale 1 to 10, rate how well you are able to ‘bounce
back’ when your role as a carer places unusual demands on
you? 1 = Low, 10 = High
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Pre Retreat
Post Retreat
The participants also recorded an improvement of method they used in dealing with life’s
difficulty and able to bounce back easily. Before the training participants were below average in
using various method of solving resilience.
2. Stress
On a scale of 1 to 10, rate how knowledgeable
you are about how to manage stress in life
overall? 1 = Low; 10 = High
0
3
6
9
Pre Retreat
Post Retreat

The participants recorded an improvement on knowledge and information they had on how to
manage stress. Education acquired during the training equipped carers on best ways of managing
stress. Both as individual and as carers, prior to the training majority did not how well they could
manage they acquire during the course of caring.
On a scale 1 to 10, rate how much you know how
to manage stress well as a carer, 1= Low; 10 = High
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Pre Retreat
Post Retreat
3. Self care
Majority of carers had poor goal setting skills and were unable to put they needs first. This result
to low achievements as they unable to deal with their problem first and eventually led to
depression. The training equips them with necessary skills and after the training many felt they
can be able to set goals and priotize them. At same time able to continue with caring duties
On a scale 1 to 10, rate how well you deal with putting
your needs first, 1 = Low, 10 = High
0
2
4
6
8
Pre Retreat
Post Retreat
Before the training carers did not have time to socialize with others like friends and family and
also creating time for themselves. Due to lack of knowledge, they thought the task of caring
being involving and not time is left for them.

On a scale 1 to 10, rate how often you make time for
yourself, going out and enjoying yourself or catching up with
friends, for example?
0
2
4
6
8
Pre Retreat
Post Retreat
Retreat two
Part B; Mental Health/Disability Carers
Carers were taken through two learning retreat and the organizer needs to know how effective
was these training. The participants were asked questions regarding the training and the result
were analyzed. People with dementia can become easily frustrated, aggressive, and suspicious of
other people. This can be extremely damaging to the carers emotional wellbeing
Carers demographic descriptions
Majority of participants were females, who occupied 90% of carers in the second retreat.
These shows that female are more responsible and eager to gain more knowledge as possible.
The age bracket was above 31 years, those who were 31 to 40 years and 51 to 60 years
occupied 14.29% each, 41 to 50 years 35.71%, 61 to 70 years 28.57% and 81 years and
above 7.14%.
18 to 30
years 31 to 40
years 41 to 50
years 51 to 60
years 61 to 70
years 81 years and
over
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Q7 What is your age
Age

Frail Aged
Spouse Spose with
dementia Child under 18
years of age
with disaibility
Adult child
under 30 years
of age with a
disability
Adult child with
a mental illness Family
member/friend
with chronic
illness
Family
member/friend
with a life
threatening
illness
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
Q8 Do you provide care for a
Care for
In second retreat there was an improvement of representation, with carers of different sorts
attending the retreat. This may be as result of first retreat people were ready to share, interact
with one another and acquire information. About 50% of carers were taking care of children
under 18 years with disability and adult children with mental illness. In first retreat there was
none taking care of children under 30 years with disability?
Would like more
information on
stress
management and
resilience
To learn new skills I have trouble
sleeping The person I care
for has increased
needs
Meet other carers Make new friends
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Q10 Why did you choose to attend the course? Please tick as
manay as possible
reason for participation
The reasons why people chose to attend the retreat were evenly distributed, though majority
came to learn new skills, meet other carers who probably will share their story and relief them.
All this reasons were driven by stress and depression, and carers needed to acquire more
information on how to manage stress and resilience.

Important of information
The participants of second retreat found the information provided practical. They learnt new
skills to cope stress and self care. They were satisfied with length of the learning contents and the
mode of delivery. They were eager to apply the new skills acquire and strategies which would
make them better carers. With about 25 of participants not being sure they learnt new skills.
Yes No Not sure
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
Q11 Do you think the skills learnt today will help
you in your caring role
skills learnt
The training met its objectives which were to train and equip carers with more skills which will
ease their job and make them better. In order for them to manage stress and resilient acquire from
caring task which could led to depression.
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
Q1. Did the training meet its objectives
Did not meet expectations Met Expectations Exceeded Expectations Not Applicable
Training environment and content
The environment in which the retreat was conducted was rated as relaxed and good for learning.
The respondents felt relaxed and provided an opportunity to interact and acquire knowledge. To

support that was the content of learning material it was simple, easy to understand and
informative. The mode of delivery was also appropriate and the carers got as much as they
could.
Organisation/logical order of content
Quality of course slides & handouts
Relevance of materials
Quality of exercises
Supportiveness of trainer
Clarity of presentations/explanations
0
4
8
12
16
Q3 Content Evaluation
Did not meet expectations Met expectations
Exceeded Expectations Not applicable
Part B; Pre and Post Retreat Wellbeing Evaluation
The participants also recorded an improvement of method they used in dealing with life’s
difficulty and able to bounce back easily. Before the training participants were below average in
using various method of solving resilience. Education acquired during the training equipped
carers on best ways of managing stress.
On a scale 1 to 10, rate how much you know how to manage
stress well as a carer, 1= Low; 10 = High
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Pre Retreat
Post Retreat

On a scale 1 to 10, rate how well you are able to ‘bounce back’
when your role as a carer places unusual demands on you? 1 =
Low, 10 = High
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Pre Retreat
Post Retreat
Both as individual and as carers, prior to the training majority did not how well they could
manage they acquire during the course of caring. Majority of carers had poor goal setting skills
and were unable to put they needs first.
This result to low achievements as they unable to deal with their problem first and eventually led
to depression. The training equips them with necessary skills and after the training many felt they
can be able to set goals and priotize them. At same time able to continue with caring duties.
On a scale 1 to 10, rate how often you make time for yourself, going out
and enjoying yourself or catching up with friends, for example?
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Pre Retreat
Post Retreat

Conclusion
The training was successful in delivering the require information to carers. Generally the
wellbeing of participants recorded an improvement after the retreat. Also the environment and
learning material met their expectations. However participants found that the time allocated for
question and the length of learning course to be short and improvement is needed. This shows
the important of education in improvement of wellbeing of carers. The participant renewed their
mind by getting information through the training. They learnt news skill to manage stress and
resilience originating from their roles. Also they were able to relief their mind through
interaction with other carers and finding free time for self care. In order to manage
disappointments they get, which lead to depression. Carers must learn skills necessary for self
care, putting their needs first and follow up of those goals until they are accomplished.
Other study identified strong positive correlation between satisfaction in caring hours and
leisure. A high satisfaction with leisure result to higher carer wellbeing. This is evident in the
two retreats, as before retreats carers shown low level of wellbeing in terms of managing stress,
resilience, goal setting and self care. This is improved after the education and time given for
interactions. There was high turn out of female carers in the two retreats. Female carers have
lower wellbeing as compared to men. With the knowledge they acquire were positive that they
will improve on their wellbeing.
People with dementia can become easily frustrated, aggressive, and suspicious of other people.
This can be extremely damaging to the carers emotional wellbeing. Education is an important
tool in helping those carers in managing stress. This is by equipping them with necessary skills
and information necessary to cope and manage this stress acquired in the process of caring.
Through this engagement of carers positive feedback is obtained.

References
Always on call, always concerned: A survey of the experiences of older carers. The Princess
Royal Trust for Carers, 2011
Hirst, M., (2008) Carer distress: A prospective, population base study. Social Science and
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Australian Bureau of Statistics, (20014). 20013 disability, ageing and carers: Summary of
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Canberra.
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2006a). Australia’s Health 2006. Canberra
Golub, S. A., Gilbert, D. T., & Wilson, T. D. (2009). Anticipating one's troubles: the costs and
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DH (2006) Our Health, Our Care, Our Say: A new direction for community services Department
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carers.
London: Department of Health.
DH (2010a) A Vision for Adult Social Care: capable communities and active citizens London:
Department
of Health.