Cairns Regional Council area
Unpaid care
In Cairns Regional Council area there are 11,367 carers providing unpaid assistance to a person with a disability, long term illness or old age.
The proportion of people providing unpaid care for the aged and disabled in Cairns Regional Council area can be an important indicator of the level of demand for aged care services and facilities by local and state governments. An increasing proportion of carers among the population may indicate inadequate aged care provision, or the need for in-home support, or support for the carers themselves. The level of care provided by individuals is likely to be affected by Household Income, Age Structure and the ethnic makeup of the community (Language Spoken), as well as the sense of community cohesiveness.
Derived from the Census question:
'In the last two weeks did the person spend time providing unpaid care, help or assistance to family members or others because of a disability, a long term illness or problems related to old age?'.
Persons aged 15 years and over.
| Unpaid care | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cairns Regional Council area | 2011 | 2006 | Change | |||||
| Assistance to a person with a disability, long term illness or old age | Number | % | Regional QLD | Number | % | Regional QLD | 2006 to 2011 | |
| Provided unpaid assistance | 11,367 | 9.3 | 10.2 | 8,818 | 8.2 | 9.3 | +2,549 | 11001 |
| No unpaid assistance provided | 97,682 | 79.9 | 80.1 | 85,183 | 79.2 | 79.7 | +12,499 | 11002 |
| Not stated | 13,266 | 10.8 | 9.6 | 13,602 | 12.6 | 11.0 | -336 | 11003 |
| Total persons aged 15+ | 122,315 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 107,603 | 100.0 | 100.0 | +14,712 | |
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2006 and 2011. Compiled and presented in profile.id by .id, the population experts.
(Usual residence data)
Dominant groups
Analysis of the unpaid care provided by the population in Cairns Regional Council area in 2011 compared to Regional QLD shows that there was a lower proportion of persons who provided unpaid care either to family members or others.
Overall, 9.3% of the population provided unpaid care, compared with 10.2% for Regional QLD.
Emerging groups
The number of people who provided unpaid assistance to a person with a disability, long term illness or old age in Cairns Regional Council area increased by 2,549 people between 2006 and 2011.