Help / When you need a person, not a list
Respite, and support for carers
If you are the one doing the caring, this page is about you, and that is deliberate. Respite is not a luxury or a failure; it is the thing that lets caring last.
AskFam does not answer this with a list of names, because someone stepping in to look after a person who needs support the whole time is skilled, responsible work — not something to hand a stranger from a board. It goes to the people set up to arrange it properly.
What respite means
Someone taking over the caring so you can stop — for a few hours, a day, or longer. It can happen at home, at a day centre, or as a short stay somewhere, and it ranges from a regular break to emergency cover when something happens to you.
It is often subsidised, and arranging it is a normal, expected part of caring — not a sign you are not coping.
Where to start: Carer Gateway
Carer Gateway is the free national service for carers, and it is the number to call: 1800 422 737. They arrange respite — including emergency respite if you are suddenly unwell or in crisis — along with counselling, coaching and practical support for you.
For the person you care for, My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 can also arrange respite as part of their support.
The part carers skip
Your own health is part of the arrangement, not separate from it. Carer Gateway offers counselling and peer support because burning out is the most common way caring ends badly — for both people.
If you are exhausted, that is reason enough to call. You do not have to be at breaking point to be allowed a break.
The kinds of respite
It comes in more shapes than people realise. Someone in the home for a few hours. A day at a centre, where the person is looked after and you get the day back. An overnight or a short stay somewhere, so you can sleep, travel, or simply stop. And emergency respite, for when something happens to you and cover is needed now.
Carer Gateway on 1800 422 737 can arrange these, and My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 can build respite into the person's own support.
Money for carers, not just services
There is financial support for carers too, and it is separate from respite. Carer Payment is an income for people who cannot work much because of the caring; Carer Allowance is a smaller regular supplement on top. Both come through Services Australia, not Carer Gateway.
They are worth checking even if you assume you earn too much — the tests are not always what people expect. Start at Services Australia, or ask Carer Gateway to point you.