West Care Friends is a support group for older people looking after children with disabilities. The group is run through Carers Victoria and provides a forum where they can discuss ideas and the difficulties of being a full-time carer at an age where most Australians have retired.

Ageing carers face many difficulties - a lack of support services, respite care, and the uncertainty of not knowing what will happen to their child when they are too frail to look after them.

I was invited to come and talk with this group because they wanted to tell me in person about many of the issues they face and the lack of support services in Melbourne's west.

I was honoured to be able to spend time listening to this group. The work they have put in, not only to look after their chidlren, but to set up services for others over the years is inspiring.

The Rudd Government has raised carers allowances and the DSP, and we hve given more money to the states for respite services, but there is still a lot of workj to be done before we can give ageing carers the support they deserve.

I'd like to thank the group for their hospitality and for educating me about some of the issues facing carers in the western suburbs.