Carers NZ - Newsletter

Carers NZ - Newsletter

Welcome to 2007! Join us at the Caring for the Carers Summit in April!
Best wishes to everyone for the New Year. We trust that you all had a safe and happy festive season and are ready for busy and hopefully not too challenging 2007.
In our first newsletter for 2007 we focus on our Caring for the Carers Summit, which is being held in Wellington at Te Papa on Thursday 12th and Friday 13th April.

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IN THIS ISSUE:
• Stepping Up, Speaking Out: A New Era for NZ Carers
• Legal Test Case for Employed Carers in UK
• Next Issue of Family Care NZ
• Relaunch of www.carers.net.nz soon!
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Stepping Up, Speaking Out: A New Era for NZ Carers
On 12th and 13th April Carers New Zealand will host its second Caring for the Carers Summit at Te Papa, Wellington. The Summit theme is "Stepping Up, Speaking Out".
Keynote speakers include:
• The Hon Ruth Dyson: Minister for Disability Issues, Senior Citizens, ACC, and Labour, and Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment.
• Baroness Jill Pitkeathley: Jill is Carers NZ's long-time mentor, a Deputy Speaker of the House of LORDS, and Carers UK's Vice President. The topic of her Summit address is The Carer Movement: Persistence, Partnerships, and Politics.
• Jenny Frank: Jenny is the Program Manager of Britain's Young Carers Initiative. Her address will focus on Making It Work: Best Practice for Those Supporting Children and Young People In Caring Roles.
• Gail Hunt: President and CEO, National Alliance for Caregiving (United States); and convenor of the international consortium of national carer organisations. Her Summit address is Work, Life and Wellness: Emerging Choices for Carers.
• Joan Hughes: CEO, Carers Australia. Joan's keynote speech will focus on Understanding Carers: The Importance of Training for Health Professionals and Government Agencies.
Domestic speakers include:
• Wayne Brown: Chair, Auckland DHB. Recognising and Supporting Carers: Why This Matters To DHBs.
• Druis Barrett: Interim Convener of the new National Carer Support Network for Maori, will discuss A Voice for Caring Whanau.
• Fran Cook: General Manager of Care Coordination Services for Capital & Coast DHB, Caring for the Carers, A DHB Perspective.
• Jan Moss: Coordinator of the Complex Carers Group. Carers as Customers: Health Excellence for the Whole Family.
At the end of day one we have a special performance byDame Kate and Miranda Harcourt. Flowers From My Mothers Garden . Mother and daughter skirmishes about fact versus the family myths we all lovingly embellish.
Go to www.carers.net.nz to review the full Summit program.
We hope that you can join us for this special event; we would also like to welcome back our 2005 Summit delegates. If you attended our first Summit then please contact Sara Rogers sara@carers.net.nz or phone (09) 406 0412 during office hours to discuss a special discount.
Click on the link below to download the Caring for the Carers 2007 Summit Registration Form.
Summit Registration Form.doc(36.50 KB)

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Legal Test Case for Employed Carers in UK
Carers UK and rights groups have welcomed an employment appeal decision that could provide new protection for family carers in that country, and signal changes to employment practice here and elsewhere. Go to the homepage of www.carers.net.nz to read the full article.

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Next Issue of Family Care NZ
Our next magazine will be distributed in the second week of March. If you or your organisation are on our mailing list, you will automatically receive your free magazine(s). If you would like to request copies, please contact sara@carers.net.nz or phone her at Far North (09) 406 0412. The cover story for this issue is Extended Family Care. Other articles include a buyer's guide for stairlifts and elevators, gift guidelines for support workers, carer support group news ... and heaps more!

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Relaunch of www.carers.net.nz soon!
We will notify you when the new website is complete and ready for viewing. New sections include Eldercare, FamilyCare101 (finding information and help at different stages of your caring journey), the new Internet radio program Family Care Radio, and lots of free downloadable resources. The new site will also feature 'rich content' in this era of fast Internet, for those of you with access to broadband services. Watch out for a new suite of digital stories made by carers from across the country.

CARERS.NET.NZ One in five New Zealanders support someone who is frail, aged, sick, injured, disabled, or experiencing a mental illness.

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