Planning for a long-term condition

As a carer, you are probably caring for someone who will need care for a long time.

Most people who need care have a condition that will last for a long time or all their life (known as a chronic condition), or a condition that will eventually cause their death (known as a terminal illness).

How to plan for a long term condition

Understanding what might happen in the future will help you to plan. You may also want to think about the different stages you might go through in your caring role.

You should find out as much as you can about the illness or condition affecting the person you care for and what to expect. Talk with your doctor and other health professionals. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or to ask for more details. You can ask:

• What should we expect? How will the person’s illness change over time?
• What lifestyle changes will we need to make?
• What are the treatment options?
• Where will the person be treated?
• Should we see other health professionals, such as specialists, physiotherapists or social workers?
• What other services and support are available?

Managing long-term conditions becomes part of everyday life. With good care, many people with long-term conditions can live active and fulfilling lives. As a carer, you can look for opportunities for the person you care for to be involved in fun, social or educational activities.

If you are caring for someone with disability, they may be able to get support from the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). Visit the NDIS website to see what support is available.

Getting help as things change

Many long-term conditions will get worse over time. They may cause more pain or disability, or more mental health problems.

Your doctor can help with planning. Government and community organisations can also help with planning, support and costs. If the person you care for can’t manage their own affairs anymore, you may need to know more about legal matters.

If the person you care for has disability, the Planning for the future: people with disability booklet can help you to plan for the future. It has information about things you need to think about and your legal and financial options.

As a person's condition progresses, their needs might change. They might need aids and equipment, or extra nursing care or home help. They may also need to move into residential care. If they may die soon, you could use palliative care. Palliative care can help to improve a dying person’s quality of life.