Planning for emergencies
Emergencies can happen anytime. If you are a carer, planning for emergencies will help you to cope even when things go wrong.
Call the Carer Gateway Contact Centre for support and services 1800 422 737 Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm local time
In an emergency or if someone is in danger Triple Zero 000
If you are in crisis, anxious or depressed and want to talk with someone Lifeline 13 11 14 for anyone
Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 for people aged 5 to 25
Call your local Commonwealth Respite and Carelink Centre if you need emergency respite 1800 052 222 Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm
1800 059 059 After hours
As a carer, you have many things you need to manage every day. You may also be working or studying at the same time as being a carer.
Explore this information to get practical tips and support to help you in your role. The Carer Gateway website is all about meeting your needs as a carer.
We have phone counselling, an online carer forum, and self-guided coaching and skills courses to give you support, skills and information. You can also download and print out a summary of some key carer information.
You may also want to visit other sites to find out about services that might help you. For example, the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) supports people with disability, and My Aged Care supports elderly people, and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs supports veterans. You may also want to visit sites about the person you care for and their condition, because those sites will often have information about how best to care for the person.
Emergencies can happen anytime. If you are a carer, planning for emergencies will help you to cope even when things go wrong.
If you are aged 25 or under and care for someone, you may be a young carer. Young carers may get general payments available for carers.
‘Respite’ or ‘respite care’ is when someone else takes care of the person you care for, so that you can have a break. A break can give you time to do everyday activities, deal with stress and look after yourself. When you are a carer, it’s important to regularly take time for yourself to rest and recharge.
As a carer, you help the person you care for with many activities in and around the home. Understanding what you need to do and what help you can get can make your life easier.
As a carer, you have legal rights about your role and how you should be treated. You may also need to manage the legal affairs of the person you care for.
If you are a carer you may be able to get financial help from the Australian Government, depending on how much care you provide.