0:00:00.784,0:00:04.890
Let's put the care back into healthcare.

0:00:04.890,0:00:08.708
I've been working in the healthcare sector[br]for the last 15 years,

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and one of the things[br]that drew me to this sector

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was my interest in the care component[br]of our healthcare systems,

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more specifically to the invaluable role

0:00:18.186,0:00:20.173
played by carers.

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Now, how many of you in this room[br]consider yourself a carer?

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By this I mean, how many of you[br]have cared for someone

0:00:29.213,0:00:33.079
suffering from an illness,[br]injury or disability?

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Can you raise your hand[br]if this is the case?

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About half of the room.

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I want to thank all of you[br]who raised your hands

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for the time that you've spent as a carer.

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What you do is extremely precious.

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I am a former cared for patient myself.

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When I was a teenager,[br]I suffered from Lyme disease

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and underwent 18 months[br]of antibiotic treatment.

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I was repeatedly misdiagnosed:

0:01:00.553,0:01:05.152
bacterial meningitis,[br]fibromyalgia, you name it.

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They couldn't figure it out,

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and if I'm standing here[br]in front of you today,

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it's because I owe my life

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to the stubbornness[br]and commitment of one carer.

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He did everything he could for me,

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driving long distances[br]from one treatment center to another,

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searching for the best option,

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and above all never giving up,

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despite the difficulties he encountered,

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including from a work[br]and quality-of-life perspective.

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That was my father.

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I recovered, and this is largely[br]thanks to his dedication.

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This experience turned me[br]into a patient advocate.

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The closer I looked, the more I saw[br]carers providing the same kind of support

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that my father provided to me,

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and playing a crucial role[br]in the healthcare system.

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I don't think it's an exaggeration to say

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that without informal carers like him,

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our health and social systems

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would crumble.

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And yet, they're largely[br]going unrecognized.

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I am now a long-distance[br]carer for my mother,

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who suffers from multiple[br]chronic conditions.

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I understand, now more than ever,

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the demands that caregivers face.

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With aging populations,

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economic instability,

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healthcare system stress,

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and increased incidents[br]of long-term chronic care needs,

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the importance and demands[br]on family caregivers

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are greater than ever.

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Carers all over the world[br]are sacrificing their own physical,

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financial, and psycho-social wellbeing

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to provide care for their loved ones.

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Carers have their own limits and needs,

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and in absence of adequate support,

0:02:52.563,0:02:56.311
many could be stretched[br]to the breaking point.

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Once seen as a personal[br]and private matter in family life,

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unpaid caregiving has formed[br]the invisible backbone

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of our health and social systems[br]all over the world.

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Many of these carers[br]are even in this room,

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as we have just seen.

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Who are they, and how many are they?

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What are the challenges[br]that they are facing?

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And, above all, how can we make sure[br]that their value to patients,

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our healthcare system,[br]and society is recognized?

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Anyone can be a carer really:

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a 15-year old girl caring[br]for a parent with multiple sclerosis;

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a 40-year old man juggling full-time work

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while caring for his family[br]who lives far away;

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a 60-year old man caring for his wife[br]who has terminal cancer;

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or an 80-year old woman[br]caring for her husband

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who has Alzheimer's disease.

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The things carers do[br]for their patients are varied.

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They provide personal care,

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like getting someone dressed,

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feeding them,

0:04:01.657,0:04:03.332
helping them to the bathroom,

0:04:03.332,0:04:06.039
helping them move about.

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They also provide a significant[br]level of medical care,

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because they often know a lot about[br]their loved one's condition and needs,

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sometimes better[br]than the patients themselves,

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who may be paralyzed[br]or confused by their diagnosis.

0:04:21.514,0:04:24.202
In those situations,

0:04:24.202,0:04:28.271
carers are also advocates for the patient.

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Also of critical importance

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is the fact that carers[br]also provide emotional support.

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They organize doctor's appointments,

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they manage finances,

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and they also deal[br]with daily household tasks.

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These challenges are challenges[br]that we can't ignore.

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There are currently[br]more than 100 million carers

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providing 80 percent[br]of care across Europe,

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and even if these numbers are impressive,

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they're most likely underestimated[br]given the lack of recognition of carers.

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As we have just seen,

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many of you in this room weren't sure[br]if you could be qualified

0:05:08.247,0:05:10.429
or considered to be a carer.

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Many of you probably thought[br]I was referring to a nurse

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or some other healthcare professional.

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Also stunnning

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are the benefits that carers[br]bring to our societies,

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and I want to give you just one example[br]from Australia in 2015.

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The annual value[br]provided by informal carers

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to those suffering from mental illness

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was evaluated at 13.2 billion[br]Australian dollars.

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This is nearly two times[br]what the Australian government spends

0:05:42.314,0:05:42.728
on mental health services annually.

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These numbers, among others,

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demonstrate that if carers[br]were to stop caring tomorrow,

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our health and social systems

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would crumble.

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And while the importance[br]of these millions of silent carers

0:05:55.079,0:05:57.208
cannot be denied,

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they've largely been unnoticed

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by governments, healthcare systems,

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and private entities.

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In addition, carers are facing[br]enormous personal challenges.

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Many carers face higher costs[br]and can face financial difficulties,

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given the fact that they may not[br]be able to work full-time

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or they may not be able[br]to hold down a job altogether.

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Many studies have shown[br]that often carers sacrifice

0:06:22.710,0:06:24.948
their own health and well-being

0:06:24.948,0:06:27.729
in order to care for their loved ones.

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Many carers spend so much time[br]caring for their loved ones

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that often their family[br]and their relationships can suffer.

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Many carers report that often

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their employers don't have adequate[br]policies in place to support them.

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There has been improvement though

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in the recognition[br]of carers around the world.

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Just a few years ago,[br]an umbrella organization

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called the International Alliance[br]of Carer Organizations, or IACO,

0:06:52.871,0:06:56.522
was formed to bring together[br]carer groups from all over the world,

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to provide strategic direction,

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facilitate information sharing,

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as well as actively advocate[br]for carers on an international level.

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Private entities are also starting[br]to recognize the situation of carers.

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I am proud that my personal engagement

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and enthusiasm towards[br]this topic of carers

0:07:14.786,0:07:17.780
found an echo in my own workplace.

0:07:17.780,0:07:20.384
My company is committed to this cause,

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and has developed[br]an unprecedented framework

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for its employees and society as a whole.

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The objective is to empower carers

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to improve their own health and wellbeing

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and bring about a greater[br]balance to their lives.

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Nevertheless, much more needs to be done

0:07:38.347,0:07:42.260
to complement these relatively[br]isolated initiatives.

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Our societies are facing[br]increase health pressures,

0:07:45.443,0:07:47.533
including aging populations,

0:07:47.533,0:07:50.963
increased incident of cancer[br]and chronic conditions,

0:07:50.963,0:07:53.257
widespread inequality,

0:07:53.257,0:07:55.275
amongst many others.

0:07:55.275,0:07:57.108
to confront these challenges,

0:07:57.108,0:08:00.914
policymakers must look beyond[br]traditional healthcare pathways

0:08:00.914,0:08:02.672
and employment policies

0:08:02.672,0:08:05.140
and recognize that informal care

0:08:05.140,0:08:08.907
will continue to form the bedrock of care.

0:08:08.907,0:08:12.382
Caring for someone should be a choice,

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and should be done without putting[br]one's own wellbeing in the balance.

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But to really put the care[br]back into the healthcare,

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what's needed is a deep,[br]societal, structural change,

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and this can only happen[br]through a change in mindset.

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And this can start today.

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Today, we can plant the seed for a change

0:08:39.475,0:08:42.316
for millions of carers around the world.

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Here's what I want to suggest:

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when you go home today,

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or to the office tomorrow morning,

0:08:48.929,0:08:51.092
embrace a carer.

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Thank them,

0:08:53.106,0:08:55.610
offer him or her a bit of help,

0:08:55.610,0:09:00.895
maybe even volunteer as a carer yourself[br]for a couple hours a week.

0:09:00.895,0:09:03.211
If carers around the world[br]felt better-recognized,

0:09:03.211,0:09:05.917
it would not only improve[br]their own health and wellbeing

0:09:05.917,0:09:07.690
and sense of fulfillment,

0:09:07.690,0:09:11.873
but it would also improve the lives[br]of those that they're caring for.

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Let's care more.

0:09:13.611,0:09:15.060
Thank you.

0:09:15.060,0:09:17.743
(Applause)