For carers

Caring for someone?
Here's the help for you.

There are three main doors and most carers only know about one. The help is for you — the person doing the caring — not just for the person you're caring for.

Find my funding

Three doors

The three places to look

carergateway.gov.au or 1800 422 737 — counselling, peer support, planning tools, in-person and emergency respite, tailored coaching. Free.

NDIS-funded carer supports

If you're caring for someone on the NDIS, their plan may include carer-related supports (respite, training) that flow through their funding.

Aged care respite

Under

(Independence service category) and CHSP. Includes emergency respite for crisis situations.

You don't have to choose one. They're for different needs.

If today is hard

I think I'm burning out. What now?

1
Call Carer Gateway (1800 422 737). They have crisis support and can arrange emergency respite within hours if it's needed.
2
If the person you're caring for is on the NDIS or has aged care funding, ask their plan manager / care coordinator about respite that's already available in the plan.
3
Talk to your GP. Carer burnout is a recognised clinical issue, not a personal failure.

Asking for help won't reduce funding.

There's nothing about asking for help that will get someone's funding cut. The NDIA and the aged care system both factor informal supports into their assessments — the realistic picture leads to the right plan, not the over-stretched picture.

Keep reading

What we recommend you read next

Funding Finder

Tell us the situation, get the next steps in order, including for you.

Start here

If you're not yet sure which system you (or they) are in.

Greenbees doesn't run respite services or replace a support coordinator. We point you at the right door, fast.

Get the next steps in order.

Tell us about the situation. We'll show you what to do next, including the help for you.