Young carers 'at risk' Respite Program

Young carers

Anyone up to 25 years of age who gives a lot of support to someone with a disability, a mental illness, chronic illness or who is frail aged. It might be a parent, a brother or sister, or even a friend.

They might:

• Help with personal care - this means showering, dressing, toileting and helping with medication
• Do housework, cooking, cleaning, paying bills, attending medical appointments
• "be there" - give emotional support, listen to the anger or the sadness, try to make the person feel a bit better

And they don't get paid for it!

Being a carer sometimes means that a young person may:

• Often miss school
• Have no time to do homework
• Feel distracted at school and find it hard to fit in
• Think about leaving school too soon

Help for young carers

• Time out to do the things other young people do
• Support to get a better balance between school and being a carer
• Respite that is free or doesn't cost too much, and that fits in with the young carers' family
• Talking about being a young carer with someone who understands
• Getting together with other young carers
• Emotional support
• Information about the illness of the person they care for
• Help to deal with school, especially about what it means to be a young carer
• Help planning other services
• Support if they need to make a complaint or have someone speak up for them
• Being accepted, including their background, culture, religion, race and sexuality

Contact

To speak to a Young Carer Support Worker call the Commonwealth Respite & Carelink Centre / CarerLinks North on freecall 1800 059 059.

Back to Commonwealth Respite and Carelink Centre / CarerLinks North.