Who cares? Carers on the global agenda
Social entrepreneurs reimagine how society supports those who care for others.
Al Etmanski and Anil Patil are two social entrepreneurs from opposite ends of the earth who have arrived at the same conclusion. Whether in North America or South Asia, the picture of “natural carers” is remarkably similar — friends and family who take on the duty of caring for someone who is ill, disabled, or aged — often with little recognition or support from formal health systems and policymakers.
With the trend towards living longer and a general aging of the population, the role of carers will only increase in the coming decades. It’s time, Al and Anil tell Martha Deevy of Stanford’s Center on Longevity, to reimagine the vital role of carers and put carers on the global agenda.
Watch the full conversation in our Welcome Change series! Here are a few highlights:
Celebrating natural caring
Al has championed people with disabilities and their families in Canada for decades through the network he and his wife Vicki Cammack started: Vancouver-based PLAN. He shares how his work started with a group of concerned parents, and how he came to see past programs and services, and into society’s basic values.
Caring on the global agenda
Anil started Carers Worldwide responding to the needs of 250 carers in India. The effort has grown and now supports 73,000+ carers in South Asia — most of them women — and advocates for their legal recognition. Anil shares his journey.
Carers and mental health
Carers in South Asia, as elsewhere, face significant challenges to their mental health and wellbeing. As they care for others, they ask: Who cares for us? Unpaid carers often share a household with someone who cannot earn an income, so the loss is not one income, but two. Anil shares some of the efforts that are working — including peer support, a lifeline for carers.
Caring as the foundation for democracy
Every day, everywhere, people are engaged in taking care of each other, Al reminds us. Let’s design policy from a starting point of abundance, not scarcity — here’s Al on why this is important, and why caring is the foundation of democracy.
You can watch the full conversation here.
Anil Patil founded Carers Worldwide that works in Nepal, Bangladesh, and India. You can read more about Anil here and follow his team on Twitter at @CarersWorldwide
Al Etmanski founded Vancouver-based Planned Lifetime Advocacy Network (PLAN) with his wife Vicki Cammack. Al is also an author; you can check his new book on the power of disability, a Canadian best seller, here. And follow him on Twitter: @aletmanski @plannedlifetime
Martha Deevy is a director and senior research associate at Stanford’s Center on Longevity. Follow her and the Center’s work on Twitter at @LongevityCenter
