Am I a Carer?
Am I a Carer?
If someone could not manage without you, you are a Carer.
Do you look after someone who could not manage without you? If so, you are an unpaid Carer, and free support is available to you.
Some Carers provide constant support: such as personal care, medication, and getting someone through the day. Others support someone who is mostly independent but needs a hand with transport, emotional support, appointments, shopping or money.
Almost all Carers manage areas of support that are harder to name. Noticing subtle changes in the person’s health or wellbeing, keeping track of appointments, medications and diagnostic tests. Navigating and following up services for answers. Being the person who holds it all together.
You might care for your partner, your child, a parent, a friend or neighbour. You do not have to live with the person you care for to be providing them unpaid care.
Some people care full time. Others fit work or study around their caring role. Some take on the role gradually as someone’s needs change. Others find themselves caring suddenly, after a diagnosis or an accident.
Who you might be caring for
The person you care for may live with disability, mental illness, dementia, a chronic health condition, a terminal illness, an alcohol or other drug related problem, or they may be frail due to age.
What Does Not Stop You
None of these stop you being a Carer.
- Whether the person you care for already has an NDIS plan, or receives Support at Home or Commonwealth Home Support Programme services.
- You do not need a letter from a GP, any paperwork or a referral to prove you are a Carer.
- You do not need to be receiving a Carer Payment or Carer Allowance as proof you are a Carer.
- Your age does not matter. Carers of any age can get support, including school students. Young Carers up to 25 get support designed for them. ( Young Carers – Carers SA )
- Getting Carer Payment or Carer Allowance is income support, not wages. These do not impact your eligibility for support services.
If you are paid to care through your job, or you care as a volunteer or as part of your studies, you are not an unpaid Carer and you are not eligible for Carer Gateway services.
Getting in touch
One conversation, and we start from there.
Support is free, wherever you live in South Australia.
One of our staff will ask what is happening at home and what would help. We will start putting a plan together with you. You do not need to know what you want or need beforehand, our staff will work through this with you.
Register Now Or Call 1800 422 737