A whole week of celebratory activities is happening right across the nation to celebrate the annual Carers Week.

Anyone, anytime, can become a carer and this month Australians will pay tribute to carers across the nation during Carers Week, from October 17-23.

Australia has some 2.6 million unpaid family carers. They might be caring for a child with cancer or a disability, a mother or father with dementia, a partner with mental illness, or a friend with a terminal illness like motor neurone disease.

Some carers have to fit their caring duties around paid employment or volunteering. Others care for people who require full-time one-on-one care. Carers can find themselves in their role unexpectedly at any time of their life and chances are their role will have a profound impact on the rest of their life.

Whatever their situation, carers provide a vital and undervalued contribution to Australian society.

Carers Week provides an opportunity to celebrate all of the different kinds of carers in our community, to acknowledge their contribution and to generate discussion about carer issues.

Carers Australia receives funding from the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing to coordinate Carers Week, and works in collaboration with state and territory carers associations as well as other stakeholders to promote carer issues to a national audience.

You can check out what Carers Week activities are happening in your locality by visiting their website at:  www.carersweek.com.au

Or, click on the PDF link here for the full program for your state:

NSW
http://www.carersnsw.asn.au/storage/pdfs/Carers%20Week%202010/2010CalendarofEventsWEB.pdf

QLD
http://qld.carersaustralia.com.au/uploads/Carers%20QLD/Carers%20Week%20Events%202010.pdf

VIC
http://www.carersvic.org.au/Assets/Files/carers-week-activity-guide-2010.pdf

Other states and territories were not available at time of publication, but may be on the Carers week website linked below:
http://www.carersvic.org.au/Assets/Files/carers-week-activity-guide-2010.pdf

For general carer information and support, contact your state or territory Carers Association's Carer Advisory and Counselling Service on national Freecall number 1800 242 636.