It’s National Carers Week! Run from 15 to 21 October, National Carers Week is a time to recognise, celebrate, and raise awareness about the roughly 2.65 million Australians who provide care and support to a family member or friend. 

National Carers Week is an opportunity to raise community awareness among all Australians about the diversity of carers and their caring roles. It is an initiative of Carers Australia, funded by the Australian Government Department of Social Services, and coordinated with the assistance and participation of the National Carer Network. 

Carers are people who provide unpaid care and support to family members and friends who have a disability, mental health condition, chronic condition, terminal illness, an alcohol or other drug issue or who are frail aged. Anyone can become a carer, at any time. 

The definition for carer (under the Australian Government Carer Recognition Act 2010) is someone who gives care and support to a relative or friend who: 

• Has a disability 
• Has a medical condition (terminal or chronic illness) 
• Has a mental illness 
• Is frail because they are old (known as frail and aged) 

You are not considered to be a carer if you are employed to look after someone, if you work as a volunteer for an organisation, or if you are doing work experience as part of a course. 

At Right at Home, we intimately understand what it takes to care for the elderly and those living with a disability. We offer respite care to family caregivers, allowing them to grab coffee with a friend, catch a movie, or even take a much-needed nap.  

Are you a carer? 

Depending on your needs, as well as those of your loved one, a respite care worker will come to your home for a few hours. These visits could be once or three times a week. While the respite care worker tends to your loved you, you're free to take a break. You can use these hours to meet friends for lunch, attend a hair appointment, or even read a book in the backyard. The point is, this is your time to rest and recover. 

Carer Gateway is an Australian Government Department of Social Services program that can also provide services and support. It is a free program for unpaid Australian carers, many of whom do not know that dedicated support is available to help them in their caring role. Right at Home provides support under this program and provides support for the ones you love, while you rest and recover. We are an approved My Aged Care, Home Care Provider providing care funded from home care packages from levels 1 - 4 so that there is continuity as your needs change. We provide personal care, social support and community connection otherwise known as companion care, domestic assistance, transport, shopping, meal preparation, nursing services and more. We also provide care to private pay clients who do not have government funding or who wish to top up their level of care from government funding. Right at Home also provide post hospital care also known as transitional care, to assist clients recovering from knee and hip surgery or other conditions. We provide care under insurance and post hospital programs too. Visit us to see how we can help you.  

Keep up to date with COVID 19 information on the following links: 

Australian Government Department of Health 

Victorian Health and Human Services 

NSW Health 

Queensland Health 

ACT Health 

WA Department of Health 

Tasmanian Department of Health 

Northern Territory Department of Health 

SA Health 

Founded in 1995, Right at Home offers in-home companionship and personal care, and assistance to seniors (elderly and aged care), and any adult who needs our care at home including adults living with a disability who want to continue to live independently or age in their home. Right at Home is your local expert for issues related to caring for your loved ones and is dedicated to keeping you informed about home care. With no package management fees, Right at Home allows you to get more care from your package or budget. 

Right at Home is a 'My Aged Care' government approved, home care provider for levels 1 – 4 and offers flexible in-home care services such as nursing care, after hospital care, post-operative care, respite care, dementia and Alzheimer's care. Right at Home also offers assistance with daily living and personal care such as grooming, hygiene, transport, shopping, meal prep, domestic services and social support, so your loved one can enjoy a more independent, vibrant life. Our nurses and caregivers are screened, highly trained, and insured prior to entering your home so you can trust us with the caregiving while you focus on your loved one. 

To find out more, please give us a call on 1300 363 802 or visit our website. 

Right at Home Offices in Australia: ACT Canberra; ACT & Queanbeyan; Adelaide Central; Brisbane Bayside; Brisbane North; Brisbane South; Brisbane West; Central Queensland & Wide Bay; Darling Downs; Far North Queensland; Gold Coast North; Gold Coast South; Greater Logan; Mackay; Melbourne Brighton: Melbourne Glen Waverley; Moreton Bay Region; Noosa, Gympie & Hinterland; Sunshine Coast; Townsville; Central West New South Wales; Gosford; Hunter & Port Stephens; Macarthur Penrith; Newcastle; Northern Rivers; Padstow St George; Southern NSW; Sydney Central & Eastern Suburbs; Sydney Inner West; Sydney Liverpool; Sydney Lower North Shore; Sydney Norwest; Sydney Northern Beaches; Sydney Parramatta; Sydney Ryde; Sydney The Hills; Sydney Upper North Shore; Kalgoorlie Wheatbelt; Perth South Eastern Suburbs; Perth Midland; Perth Northern Suburbs; Perth West Coast; Southwest Victoria; Sydney Sutherland Shire; Sydney Five Dock;