Practical resources and support for Australian carers
Find evidence-informed articles, practical tools and Australian support for caring for a partner, family member or friend.
What do you need help with?
Browse by the issue that is most relevant to you now. Each topic page highlights useful starting points and then brings together every resource currently available in that area.
Carer Wellbeing
Stress, identity, exhaustion, respite, social isolation and maintaining your own health and life beyond caring.
Dementia & Cognitive Change
Memory, cognition, communication, changed behaviour, orientation, safety and supporting remaining independence.
Daily Care & Safety
Medication, routines, mobility, home safety, appointments, vigilance and the practical work of everyday caring.
Relationships, Communication & Grief
Couplehood, family relationships, intimacy, communication, conflict, ambiguous loss and anticipatory grief.
Law, Decisions & Future Planning
Decision-making capacity, advance care planning, enduring appointments, substitute decision-making and preparing before a crisis.
Services, Funding & Support
NDIS, My Aged Care, Carer Gateway, funding, applications, evidence, services and the administrative work that often falls to carers.
Latest from Resources for Carers
New articles, tools and practical resources are added as the site grows.
Partner, Carer, Slave? When Caring Stops Feeling Like a Choice
A partner may still love and willingly care for the person beside them while gradually losing the practical freedom to stop, leave, rest or say no.…
When Family Members Think You’re Coping Because They Don’t See the Work
Primary carers live the repetitions, nights, administration and risk management that occasional visitors may never see. Research on family caregiving conflict helps explain why different relatives…
Who Cares for the Carer When the Carer Gets Sick?
Many care arrangements depend heavily on one person. An emergency care plan turns private knowledge into a usable handover so illness, injury or hospitalisation of the…
Assessments & questionnaires
Use practical self-reflection tools to consider stress, emotional wellbeing, grief, carer identity, relationships and coping. Some tools are established screening instruments; others are educational reflection tools designed to help organise your thoughts.
Results are not a diagnosis, but they may help you recognise concerns and begin a useful conversation with an appropriate professional.
Find carer support in Australia
The support directory brings together national and state-based organisations that offer carer information, counselling, peer support, advocacy, education, wellbeing programs and other assistance.
Need a national starting point? Carer Gateway can be contacted on 1800 422 737. In an emergency or immediate danger, call Triple Zero (000).
Product recommendations
Research products and assistive technology that may improve safety, organisation, communication, comfort or independence. Product information includes practical benefits and limitations to help you decide whether an item is worth investigating further.
Individual needs vary. Where appropriate, seek advice from an occupational therapist, physiotherapist, pharmacist or other qualified professional before selecting equipment.
Courses & learning
Find learning opportunities that can help carers understand health conditions, develop practical knowledge and make better-informed decisions. The collection will expand as suitable Australian and online courses are identified.
Information that recognises both sides of caring
The person receiving care deserves dignity, safety, choice and appropriate support. The carer also deserves reliable information, recognition, assistance and the opportunity to maintain a meaningful life beyond caring. Resources for Carers combines lived experience with information drawn from research, legislation, government publications and other authoritative sources.
General information: Resources for Carers provides general educational information and is not a substitute for medical, psychological, legal, financial or other professional advice. Laws, government programs, eligibility requirements, services and prices can change. Confirm important information with the relevant authority or appropriately qualified professional before acting on it.