Motivated for the voice of carers to be heard in the patient journey, Helen Lococo became Mercy Mental Health’s first Carer Consultant 18 years ago and is now a seasoned advocate for their cause.
Being a carer of a family member with a severe mental illness for over 30 years perfectly equips Helen for the role. She also has longstanding and extensive involvement in local support groups for carers of people accessing mental health services, primarily the Westgate Carers Support Group.
As a Carer Consultant, Helen helps Mercy Mental Health clinicians and staff to better understand the carer perspective and why carers respond and react the way they do. “You have to have the perspective of the carers on the ground to be able to inform the service about how it can support them,” she says.
Mercy Mental Health Carer Consultant Helen Lococo
Helen also provides information and support to carers about how to navigate the mental health system. “At every admission, we should be able to give the families support and information about the system — how it works, what to expect and what support is available. To me that’s important,” she says.
Helen also provides information and support to carers about how best to navigate the mental health system. “At every admission, we should be able to give the families support and information about the system — how it works, what to expect and what support is available. To me that’s important,” she says.
Sometimes carers say to me, ‘This is the first time I have been heard and understood.’
However, Helen is particularly passionate about teaching carers to look after themselves. From her own experience, this is a factor that is so fundamental it is often overlooked but can make a huge difference to the patient and carer experience. “You have to learn to take care of yourself so you can be a responsible, positive and educated carer who is actually making forward steps instead of doing the wrong thing,” she says.
Each month, Helen brings the everyday insights from her role to the Mercy Mental Health Voices of Consumers Carers Alliance Link (VOCCAL). The group was established to help people accessing mental health services at Mercy Health, and their carers, participate in the organisation’s decision-making on policy, care and treatment.
After all her years of experience in advocating for carers and being a carer herself, Helen still simply loves to offer her understanding and experience to those who are navigating a complex system to find relief for their loved ones. “Sometimes carers say to me, ‘This is the first time I have been heard and understood.’”
Last reviewed October 25, 2019.