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.
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
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.
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.
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!
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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