December 2009
Friends and summer just go together!
Welcome to Family Care Radio, the internet radio show for New Zealand's community of family carers and those they support at home. As this programme goes live it's summer and it's Christmas. We bring you a song written by Auckland carer, Avon Hensen, entitled
Friends and summer ... a happy, upbeat tune to end the year! Our photo is by New Zealand photographer Terry Winn, creator of the
Caring Moments collection (an initiative with Carers NZ).
Listen to the whole show!
We've split the show into two half hour parts so it's faster for you to download. To hear the programme as it's meant to be heard, click on the two parts of the programme below. If you don't have time to listen to the whole show, you can pick individual stories to listen to in the story descriptions further down the page.
Part 1 (37 mins)
Part 2 (26 mins)
Individual story selection
What's in Part 1:
Avon Hensen - Caring and music
Friends and summer (6 minutes 29 seconds)
Meet Avon Hensen, who manages to combine caring for her husband John with working as a music teacher, writing songs for the ukelele, and singing in a quartet. The photo of Avon and John was taken at a party in their local Auckland community, organised to inject some fun into the dreary winter months. Avon also sings unaccompanied harmonies with a quartet called
Ad Lib. Listen here to one of their songs:
Drive my car (1 minute 53 seconds)
Caroline Waters - Making it easier to fit work around care
Work and care (26 minutes 51 seconds)
Meet Caroline Waters, Director of People and Policy for BT (British Telecom). On a recent trip to New Zealand Caroline spoke to Margie about the huge benefits flexible working brings ... to employers, carers, the government and the country. Caroline starts by explaining what, exactly, flexible working can look like. After the conference Caroline agreed to act as the Overseas Advisor to New Zealand's
Work Life Care! coalition, led by Carers NZ, Business NZ, and the NZ Council of Trade Unions.
What's In Part 2:
All in one - A Guide for Carers
New Guide for Carers
The Ministry of Social Development and Carers NZ have developed a new resource to help carers find support offered by many government agencies. Carers NZ Chair, Jan Moss, helped canvas hundreds of carers to find out what they wanted in the Government's new all-in-one
Guide. Jan describes the feedback she has received so far.
The new Guide was launched by the Minister for Social Development and Employment,Tariana Turia.
Read her address to the National Carers Conference, held in September 2009, where the new resource was launched.
You can order your free copy of
A Guide for Carers - He Aratohu ma nga Kaitiaki by calling 0800 777797, or download it at
www.carers.net.nz, Carers NZ's new website. Bulk inquiries are also welcome.
Recognition for carers
Recognition for carers (7 minutes 4 secs)
New Zealand carers were given Prime Ministerial recognition in September 2009 for the first time ever. It was a red letter day!
John Key's letter to carers was read out at the National Carers Conference, a highlight of the event. Despite Mr Key's high level recognition, the NZ Carers Alliance is concerned that some aspects of the Carers' Strategy, launched several years ago, are not a priority for the current government. Margie and Pip explain.
Whirimako Black
Interview with Whirimako (2 minutes 19 seconds)
Meet Whirimako Black, who recently opened the 2009 National Carers Conference with her song Haurora. Whirimako has been singing professionally since she was 17 and has also been a carer for her father, who passed away in 2006.
Listen to Whirimako singing
Hauora and visit her website to learn more about her:
www.whirimako.org 
Meditation with Anna Filliol
Rest (5 minutes 54 seconds)
To get you in a relaxed summer mood, or just to help you get some respite from daily worries and responsibilities, try our latest
Listen and Learn Five Minute Meditation with Anna Filliol. Find a quiet and private place, and let go. You deserve it!
In our next show
Watch for our next Family Care Radio show in late February 2010. Highlights will include an interview with the NZ Continence Association about the need for a nationally fair and consistent continence Strategy for New Zealand ... we'll talk to carers attending one of our first Wellbeing and Learning events of 2010 (to be held in Auckland) ... and lots more! Our next issue of Family Care will be available also in late February ... and the new Family Care Direct buying channel will be live then too! We'll tell you more about Family Care Direct in the next show.
Family Care Your free magazine!
Have you seen the latest issue of Family Care? Our quarterly publication for families with health and disability needs is filled with practical ideas and inspiring stories. Family Care is free to carers and those they support. Bulk copies are available for organisations to distribute to families in their networks for a koha of just $1 per copy. To learn more or to order your free home delivered subscription, phone 0800 777 797, or email sara@carers.net.nz