0:00:00.952,0:00:04.103
Let's put the care back into health care.

0:00:04.690,0:00:08.511
I've been working in the healthcare sector[br]for the last 15 years,

0:00:08.535,0:00:10.912
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 --

0:00:15.178,0:00:16.517
more specifically,

0:00:16.541,0:00:19.154
to the invaluable role played by carers.

0:00:20.173,0:00:23.838
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

0:00:29.096,0:00:32.723
suffering from an illness,[br]injury or disability?

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

0:00:37.119,0:00:38.531
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.

0:00:47.813,0:00:50.204
I am a former cared-for patient myself.

0:00:50.868,0:00:53.961
When I was a teenager,[br]I suffered from Lyme disease

0:00:53.985,0:00:57.066
and underwent 18 months[br]of antibiotic treatment.

0:00:58.025,0:01:00.048
I was repeatedly misdiagnosed:

0:01:00.521,0:01:04.964
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,

0:01:10.630,0:01:12.259
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.

0:01:34.629,0:01:38.798
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,

0:01:59.835,0:02:02.027
our health and social systems

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would crumble.

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

0:02:08.828,0:02:11.926
I am now a long-distance[br]carer for my mother,

0:02:12.687,0:02:14.972
who suffers from multiple[br]chronic conditions.

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I understand, now more than ever,

0:02:19.811,0:02:21.886
the demands that caregivers face.

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With aging populations,

0:02:25.150,0:02:26.975
economic instability,

0:02:26.999,0:02:28.971
healthcare system stress

0:02:28.995,0:02:31.932
and increased incidents[br]of long-term chronic care needs,

0:02:32.690,0:02:35.408
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,

0:02:41.801,0:02:44.587
financial and psychosocial well-being

0:02:44.611,0:02:46.443
to provide care for their loved ones.

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Carers have their own limits and needs,

0:02:49.980,0:02:52.374
and in absence of adequate support,

0:02:52.398,0:02:54.752
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,

0:03:00.132,0:03:03.643
unpaid caregiving has formed[br]the invisible backbone

0:03:03.667,0:03:06.988
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,

0:03:22.430,0:03:24.748
our healthcare system and society

0:03:24.772,0:03:25.930
is recognized?

0:03:27.067,0:03:29.648
Anyone can be a carer, really:

0:03:30.357,0:03:34.233
a 15-year-old girl caring[br]for a parent with multiple sclerosis;

0:03:35.074,0:03:37.978
a 40-year-old man juggling full-time work

0:03:38.002,0:03:40.945
while caring for his family[br]who lives far away;

0:03:41.623,0:03:45.310
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.

0:03:55.913,0:03:57.609
They provide personal care,

0:03:57.633,0:03:59.641
like getting someone dressed,

0:03:59.665,0:04:01.210
feeding them,

0:04:01.234,0:04:02.661
helping them to the bathroom,

0:04:03.260,0:04:04.679
helping them move about.

0:04:05.356,0:04:08.967
They also provide a significant[br]level of medical care,

0:04:08.991,0:04:13.938
because they often know a lot about[br]their loved one's condition and needs,

0:04:13.962,0:04:16.851
sometimes better[br]than the patients themselves,

0:04:16.875,0:04:20.453
who may be paralyzed[br]or confused by their diagnosis.

0:04:21.284,0:04:22.834
In those situations,

0:04:23.350,0:04:27.031
carers are also advocates for the patient.

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Also of critical importance

0:04:31.631,0:04:35.734
is the fact that carers[br]also provide emotional support.

0:04:36.338,0:04:38.313
They organize doctor's appointments,

0:04:39.107,0:04:40.831
they manage finances,

0:04:40.855,0:04:44.108
and they also deal[br]with daily household tasks.

0:04:45.018,0:04:47.834
These challenges are challenges[br]that we can't ignore.

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There are currently[br]more than 100 million carers

0:04:52.103,0:04:55.866
providing 80 percent[br]of care across Europe.

0:04:56.617,0:04:58.930
And even if these numbers are impressive,

0:04:58.954,0:05:03.388
they're most likely underestimated,[br]given the lack of recognition of carers.

0:05:03.412,0:05:04.706
As we have just seen,

0:05:04.730,0:05:08.119
many of you in this room weren't sure[br]if you could be qualified

0:05:08.143,0:05:10.222
or considered to be a carer.

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

0:05:12.882,0:05:14.803
or some other healthcare professional.

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Also stunning

0:05:17.120,0:05:20.838
are the benefits that carers[br]bring to our societies.

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

0:05:25.607,0:05:28.960
The annual value[br]provided by informal carers

0:05:28.984,0:05:31.012
to those suffering from mental illness

0:05:31.036,0:05:35.953
was evaluated at 13.2 billion[br]Australian dollars.

0:05:36.431,0:05:39.974
This is nearly two times[br]what the Australian government spends

0:05:39.998,0:05:41.958
on mental health services annually.

0:05:41.982,0:05:44.210
These numbers, among others,

0:05:44.234,0:05:47.393
demonstrate that if carers[br]were to stop caring tomorrow,

0:05:47.417,0:05:50.714
our health and social systems[br]would crumble.

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

0:05:54.955,0:05:56.300
cannot be denied,

0:05:56.890,0:05:58.938
they've largely been unnoticed

0:05:58.962,0:06:01.918
by governments, healthcare systems

0:06:01.942,0:06:03.381
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,

0:06:13.815,0:06:16.901
given the fact that they may not[br]be able to work full time

0:06:16.925,0:06:19.617
or they may not be able[br]to hold down a job altogether.

0:06:20.330,0:06:21.530
Many studies have shown

0:06:21.554,0:06:24.553
that often carers sacrifice[br]their own health and well-being

0:06:24.577,0:06:26.580
in order to care for their loved ones.

0:06:27.395,0:06:31.050
Many carers spend so much time[br]caring for their loved ones

0:06:31.074,0:06:34.124
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[br]adequate policies in place

0:06:39.379,0:06:40.659
to support them.

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There has been improvement, though,

0:06:42.874,0:06:45.180
in the recognition[br]of carers around the world.

0:06:45.718,0:06:48.262
Just a few years ago,[br]an umbrella organization

0:06:48.286,0:06:52.608
called the International Alliance[br]of Carer Organizations, or IACO,

0:06:52.632,0:06:56.498
was formed to bring together[br]carer groups from all over the world,

0:06:56.522,0:06:58.631
to provide strategic direction,

0:06:58.655,0:07:00.677
facilitate information sharing,

0:07:00.701,0:07:04.271
as well as actively advocate[br]for carers on an international level.

0:07:05.036,0:07:09.350
Private entities are also starting[br]to recognize the situation of carers.

0:07:09.836,0:07:12.101
I am proud that my personal engagement

0:07:12.125,0:07:14.754
and enthusiasm towards[br]this topic of carers

0:07:14.778,0:07:16.866
found an echo in my own workplace.

0:07:17.612,0:07:20.106
My company is committed to this cause

0:07:20.130,0:07:22.884
and has developed[br]an unprecedented framework

0:07:22.908,0:07:25.787
for its employees and society as a whole.

0:07:26.471,0:07:28.900
The objective is to empower carers

0:07:28.924,0:07:31.089
to improve their own health and well-being

0:07:31.113,0:07:33.699
and bring about a greater[br]balance to their lives.

0:07:34.875,0:07:38.180
Nevertheless, much more needs to be done

0:07:38.204,0:07:41.098
to complement these relatively[br]isolated initiatives.

0:07:42.005,0:07:44.914
Our societies are facing[br]increased health pressures,

0:07:44.938,0:07:47.223
including aging populations,

0:07:47.247,0:07:50.654
increased incidence of cancer[br]and chronic conditions,

0:07:50.678,0:07:52.713
widespread inequality,

0:07:52.737,0:07:54.201
amongst many others.

0:07:54.862,0:07:56.726
To confront these challenges,

0:07:56.750,0:08:00.409
policymakers must look beyond[br]traditional healthcare pathways

0:08:00.433,0:08:01.781
and employment policies

0:08:02.418,0:08:04.771
and recognize that informal care

0:08:04.795,0:08:07.861
will continue to form the bedrock of care.

0:08:09.456,0:08:11.763
Caring for someone should be a choice

0:08:12.644,0:08:16.757
and should be done without putting[br]one's own well-being in the balance.

0:08:19.129,0:08:22.962
But to really put the care[br]back into health care,

0:08:23.671,0:08:29.115
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.

0:08:33.371,0:08:35.194
And this can start today.

0:08:36.182,0:08:39.066
Today, we can plant the seed for a change

0:08:39.090,0:08:41.210
for millions of carers around the world.

0:08:41.927,0:08:43.500
Here's what I want to suggest:

0:08:44.216,0:08:45.616
when you go home today

0:08:46.318,0:08:48.642
or to the office tomorrow morning,

0:08:48.666,0:08:49.959
embrace a carer.

0:08:51.012,0:08:52.216
Thank them,

0:08:52.756,0:08:54.588
offer him or her a bit of help,

0:08:55.284,0:08:59.243
maybe even volunteer as a carer yourself[br]for a couple hours a week.

0:09:00.260,0:09:02.911
If carers around the world[br]felt better recognized,

0:09:02.935,0:09:05.744
it would not only improve[br]their own health and well-being

0:09:05.768,0:09:07.476
and sense of fulfillment,

0:09:07.500,0:09:10.890
but it would also improve the lives[br]of those that they're caring for.

0:09:11.531,0:09:13.000
Let's care more.

0:09:13.484,0:09:14.635
Thank you.

0:09:14.659,0:09:17.682
(Applause)