Carer services and support

If you are caring for someone with care needs who lives at home, it helps to know what support is available. A wide range of programs and services exists for unpaid carers, and many organizations are dedicated to supporting them. The right mix of support can change as your circumstances change.

Carers play an important role#

Carers look after a partner, friend, family member or loved one with care needs. As a carer, you may be supporting a person with a disability, a mental illness or a chronic condition, an older person, or someone receiving palliative care.

Carer support programs often provide tailored, flexible help based on each carer’s individual needs. This might include counseling, respite, or other support at a time of need. Where these services exist, you can usually contact a local provider directly to find out what is available in your area.

Person-centered carer support typically focuses on:

• providing one-off or short-term help, including goods and equipment, that adds to other services or fills a gap
• responding to individual needs through flexible, tailored support, including help with immediate or urgent needs
• supporting the carer on their own, or both the carer and the person they care for together, for example by sharing an enjoyable activity in the community
• helping carers look after their own health and wellbeing through respite and through more opportunities for social connection and physical activity

For example, a carer might receive respite to take a break from their role, along with social, health and other support such as personal or financial counseling, a group activity or a massage.

Looking after yourself#

If you are a carer, there are a number of things to consider so that both you and the person you care for stay as healthy as possible, physically and emotionally.

Carrying out a simple self-assessment helps you understand what support you might need now and in the future. A good place to start is to note how many hours each week you spend helping, supervising or prompting the person you care for with tasks such as:

• communication and social participation, such as organizing activities or helping them communicate their needs
• safety, such as checking water temperature or making sure they do not injure themselves or others
• behavior, such as supervising and understanding why someone acts the way they do
• mobility, such as moving around the house or turning someone during the night
• personal hygiene, such as bathing, dressing and using the toilet
• eating and drinking, such as preparing food and making sure they eat and drink
• health and treatment, such as giving medicine or helping with therapeutic exercises

Home and community care support#

In many places, home and community care programs help people who have difficulty with the activities of daily living, along with their carers, to live as independently as possible in the community. If you think you, a family member or the person you care for might benefit from such services, contact a local assessment or community-care service. They will usually meet with you to discuss what services you need and how often.

This meeting often takes place in your home, and you may want a family member, friend, interpreter or advocate with you.

The type of support available depends on your needs and the local service, but it commonly includes:

• Help around the home — housework such as regular or seasonal cleaning and laundry, and home maintenance such as clearing gutters
• Minor home modifications — such as installing grab rails and smoke alarms to make daily life safer
• Personal care — help with mobility, showering, grooming, dressing, going to the toilet, eating, exercising and managing prescribed medication
• Nursing and health services — nursing care, therapy, and information on managing conditions such as diabetes or incontinence, plus services such as occupational therapy, physiotherapy, podiatry and dietary advice
• Getting out and about — help to shop, cook, pay bills and attend appointments, meal delivery, and friendly visiting or group activities
• Social activities — day groups and other chances to enjoy the company of others

Some people have more complex needs that cannot be met by mainstream home-care services alone. In these cases, those services can point you towards other programs that may help.

Where to get help#