Care2Prepare
Care2Prepare is a project delivered by Carers NSW in partnership with the Physical Disability Council of NSW (PDCN) and aged care provider, GoCo, aimed at improving household and community resilience and preparedness and reducing the impact of flood and bushfire.
The project focuses on increasing the integration and inclusivity of disaster responses for people living with disability, older people and family and friend carers in the Central Coast, Shoalhaven and Gunnedah.
Care2Prepare received grant funding through the Australian Government Preparing Australian Communities - Local Stream grant and will be delivered from June 2022 to March 2025.
Why this project is needed
People living with disability, older people and carers share many common challenges in preparing for and responding to emergencies. For example, they may:
- Require access to essential medication, equipment, treatment and support that can be cut off during disasters
- Experience mobility, cognitive or behavioural challenges that affect timely evacuation or safe access to evacuation and recovery centres
- Experience greater challenges with recovery and re-integration due to socio-economic disadvantage and reliance on formal services
- Require tailored support to plan for, and navigate, evacuation and recovery
- Be overlooked in disaster planning and emergency responses
Findings from the Carers NSW 2024 National Carer Survey [1] show:
- Only 36.8% of NSW respondents indicated that they had a disaster preparedness plan in place
- Carers in outer regional areas were most likely to have disaster preparedness plans (53.0% of NSW respondents), followed by 45.0% for carers in inner regional areas.
Access to tailored planning tools such as the Household Readiness Toolkit - launching in November 2024 - will reduce the impact of disasters by ensuring those with specific needs are prepared and can take appropriate actions to increase safety and enhance post event recovery outcomes.
[1] Carers NSW (2024) 2024 National Carer Survey, unpublished results.
Register for one-on-one planning support
We are now inviting participants in the Central Coast, Shoalhaven, and Gunnedah regions to join the Care2Prepare pilot program.
By joining the pilot program, you will:
- receive in person home visits to assist you to identify risks and capabilities to prepare for and respond to disaster events.
- create an individualised, person-centred plan to enhance your own preparedness and resilience in the event of disasters
- contribute to increasing the inclusivity of disaster response for carers, people with disabilities, and older individuals.
To register your interest in joining the Care2Prepare pilot program, click below or contact the Care2prepare team at care2prepare@carersnsw.org.au
Use our tools
If you are a health or community sector organisation and want to use the Household Readiness Toolkit with your participants, Care2Prepare can provide facilitation training to upskill your staff in the delivery of supported disaster planning. To find out more contact the Care2Prepare team at care2prepare@carersnsw.org.au