Carer Gateway: Free Support for Carers and How to Access It

If you help a parent with their shopping, sit beside your partner at medical appointments, or check in on a friend every day, you may be a carer, even if you have never used the word. Around 3 million Australians care for a family member or friend. Many do it on top of work, children and their own health, and most never stop to ask for help. 

That is where Carer Gateway comes in. It is a free Australian Government service designed by carers, for carers. This National Carers Week (11–17 October 2026), the theme is ‘Care for a carer: Making carers visible’, so it is the perfect time to look at the support for carers that is available, and how to get it. 

You may be a carer if you support a family member or friend living with: 

• Disability 

• Dementia 

• Mental illness 

• A long-term health condition 

• Frailty due to ageing 

• Alcohol or drug-related issues 

• A life-limiting illness 

Many people don’t see themselves as carers. They are ‘just’ a daughter, a husband or a neighbour doing what needs to be done. But recognising your role is the first step to getting support, both for you and for the person you care for. 

Respite care means someone else looks after the person you care for, so you can rest, attend to your own health or simply have time to yourself. Carer Gateway can help you arrange planned respite. Emergency respite is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, if you suddenly can’t provide care, for example because you become ill or injured. 

Depending on your situation, a tailored support package might include practical help such as transport, cleaning or support with your education, so caring doesn’t take over every part of your life.

Carer Gateway can also point you to information about financial assistance and government payments, such as Carer Payment and Carer Allowance, which are managed by Services Australia.

• Call 1800 422 737, Monday to Friday, 8am–5pm local time, to speak with your local Carer Gateway service provider. Emergency respite is available 24/7 on the same number. 

• Visit carergateway.gov.au for online services, coaching, skills courses and the carer community. 

• Need an interpreter? Call the Translating and Interpreting Service on 131 450. 

• If you are deaf or have a hearing or speech impairment, use the National Relay Service on 133 677. 

When you call, your local provider will listen to your caring situation, understand what you need and tailor support so that it is right for you. 

Carer Gateway supports you, the carer. Support at Home supports the older person you care for. Used together, they can lighten the load considerably. 

Support at Home is the Australian Government program that helps older Australians live safely and independently in their own homes. Depending on their assessment, funding can cover services such as personal care, nursing, allied health, domestic help, meals, transport, social support and respite care. Short-term respite through Support at Home can give you a regular, planned break, while Carer Gateway focuses on your own wellbeing. 

At Chris Barnard Health, family carers are part of the team. Every client is paired with a dedicated Care Partner who checks in at least once a month, so carers always have one person to call when something changes and a plan that keeps up with life. Our clients also see the same support worker around 80% of the time. That means familiar faces rather than a rotating door of strangers, and carers can step back knowing their loved one is with someone who truly knows them. 

Waiting for Support at Home funding, or don’t have it? The person you care for can still access our home care services privately while they wait. 

Carers are often the last to notice their own limits. It may be time to reach out if you: 

• Feel tired most of the time, even after a night’s sleep 

• Have stopped seeing friends or doing the things you enjoy 

• Feel anxious, irritable or low more often than usual 

• Keep putting off your own health appointments 

• Worry about what would happen to the person you care for if you got sick 

These feelings are common, and they are not a sign that you are failing. They are a sign that you deserve support too. 

• Take regular breaks, and organise respite care before you reach breaking point. 

• Create an emergency care plan for the person you support, so someone else can step in quickly if needed. 

• Explore financial support such as Carer Payment or Carer Allowance through Services Australia on 132 717. 

• Connect with local community groups and other carers who understand. 

• Keep your own health appointments. Looking after yourself helps you keep caring. 

Caring for someone you love is one of the most important jobs there is, but it is not one you should have to do alone. This National Carers Week, take one small step: call Carer Gateway, talk with your family about sharing the load, or reach out to us.

Talk to our Support at Home team today on 1300 602 469 or email homecare@chrisbarnardhealth.com. All Care, All Heart.

By Natasha Stagler
Marketing Coordinator