• Conversations with Carers

    This interview series was filmed to share a glimpse into the lives of different carers, and to help carers in the community recognise themselves in these stories.

  • Young Asian woman providing support to older Asian lady sitting in a wheelchair in the garden.

    We care for carers

    A carer is someone who provides ongoing unpaid personal care or support to someone who has a disability, mental illness, chronic (long-term) illness, aged related condition, or someone receiving palliative care.

  • Older man wearing glasses sitting with a notebook and sitting in front of a laptop.

    Facilitated Coaching

    Are you looking for a way to bring about positive change for yourself?

    Alfred Health Carer Services can help support you in this journey through our free Facilitated Coaching services for carers.

  • Photo of a calendar book

    2024 Events & Workshops Program - Now Available!

    Want to get our events and workshops program sent to your inbox?
    Subscribe via our Carer eNews

Melbourne Carer Support Services 

Accessing carer supports & services

Make a call

Call Carer Gateway on 1800 422 737
Mon-Fri 8am to 5pm
OR
Call us directly on 1800 51 21 21
Mon-Fri 8:30am to 5pm

Exploring what supports you need

After registration, we explore how we can help you in different aspects of your caring role and situation, and what supports and services you need.

Supports & services tailored to your caring needs

We tailor supports and services based on your caring needs.

Express interest to our Carer Events & Workshops
August - October 2024

Express interest to our Carer Events & Workshops
November - December 2024

 

Are you a carer?

If you are looking after someone who has a long-term or terminal illness, a disability, mental health condition or someone who is frail due to age, you may be an unpaid carer.

 

Carer statistics

 
Busy area of people walking in different directions at Melbourne Central.

2.65 million carers in Australia

There are 2.65 million carers in Australia currently caring for a family member or friend - that’s nearly 11% of our total population. With one-third of primary carers providing 40 hours or more of unpaid care per week.

An elderly Asian couple holding each other. Elderly man looks straight ahead, and elderly wife looks at her husband and smiles.

2.2 billion hours of unpaid care

In 2020, even without the effects of Covid-19, it was estimated that unpaid carers were providing 2.2 billion hours of unpaid care - that’s over 42 million hours every single week.

Dark skinned younger woman peels fruit at a kitchen table with a dark-skinned older man sitting across the younger woman. She is speaking to him, and he is watching her peel the fruit.

1 in 11 carers are under the age of 25

There are more than 71,600 young carers in Victoria, but there are many hidden in the community since young carers often don’t see themselves as carers.

Register for Carer Gateway

Get in touch and register for Carer Gateway, to access resources and be connected with your local outlet.
Call 1800 422 737
Or request a callback from Carer Gateway

 

Get in touch with us

You can call Alfred Health Carer Services directly to access information, supports and services from our other programs.
Call 1800 51 21 21
Or request a callback from us

 

Nurturing Connection:
a carer and their step-child

Being a carer is challenging. For Lara, it was even more challenging as she parents a child with a disability in a blended family. Her goals were focused on improving the relationship with the child as well as their family dynamics.

Previously, Lara had tried counselling but was unable to achieve the outcomes she desired, so she enrolled in Carer Gateway Facilitated Coaching with these clear goals in mind. Her intention was to gain a better understanding of the child, establish trust and deepen their bond.

Over the course of 6 one-hour sessions, Lara's coach provided her with support and a safe space to explore her goals. Together, they took the time to set achievable goals that Lara could implement at home. And by breaking down the bigger goal, Lara was able to take small steps towards achieving her desired outcome. With the coach “walking beside her”, she learnt to recognise that there were some negative emotions that she had often avoided. And this insight empowered her to make some changes, further motivating Lara to achieve her goal.

This process deepened Lara’s empathy towards the child, increased her self confidence in the caring role, and supported her dream of building better family dynamics. She worked to develop stronger family connections by encouraging open sharing and conversations, spending less time on “screens”, and establishing dinner time as family time. Lara also scheduled in family time and self-care time into the family calendar to ensure that all members of the family were nurtured. With the support of a coach, Lara was able to make meaningful change in this aspect of her life.

If there’s an area of your life where you would like to make some change, try Carer Gateway’s Facilitated Coaching. You can contact us directly on 1800 51 21 21 and advise our admin team you are requesting a Coaching Referral.

Your coaching goals can focus on any topic and does not have to be about your caring role. It could be about getting fit, returning to work, exploring hobbies, self-care, increasing self-compassion - whatever it is that you want for yourself, coaching is time just for you!

Need emergency respite?

Call Carer Gateway on 1800 422 737

24 hours 7 days a week

Contact us

Call us directly on 1800 51 21 21

Monday-Friday 8:30am to 5:00pm

We’ll call you back

Request a callback using the form to the right, and we will get in touch with you.

 

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