Carer Gateway
Carer Gateway provides services and support to unpaid carers across Australia.
Click below to speak to us on email.
Call 1800 422 737 between 8am - 5pm, Monday to Friday, or visit www.carergateway.gov.au seven days a week for support and advice.
If you need emergency respite call 1800 422 737 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
What is it?
Carer Gateway is an Australian Government initiative that delivers new, improved and expanded services to carers across Australia.
In Victoria, these services are provided by a group of seven health and social support providers led by Merri Health.
Who can use this service?
All carers can access Carer Gateway services.
You are a carer if you are looking after someone with disability, a medical condition, mental illness or who is frail due to age.
You don't need to be a new carer to use Carer Gateway services – any carer can use the services at any time in their caring journey.
Location
Varies – in Victoria, Carer Gateway services are provided at many sites and locations including metropolitan and regional areas. To find out more, get in touch with our team.
Get in touch
Call 1800 422 737, Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm local time or request a call back here.
More information
Who are carers?
You are a carer if you are looking after someone with disability, a medical condition, mental illness or who is frail due to age.
What support is available?
- Counselling – if you are feeling stressed, anxious, sad or frustrated, a counsellor can talk with you either in person or over the phone in the comfort of your own home.
- Connect with other carers – you might like to meet with people like you who care for someone and share stories, knowledge and experience. You can do this with people in your area or you can join the carer forum online.
- Respite Care – if you get sick or hurt and you cannot look after someone, emergency respite services can help you. Service providers will find ways to look after the person you care for while you have a break. Planned respite care can also help you plan for regular breaks to rest and recharge.
If you need emergency respite call 1800 422 737 24 hours a day, 7 days a week - Self-guided coaching – you can work through interactive online coaching sessions at your own pace. You can find a range of topics to help you in your caring role.
- Skills courses – you can use these short online courses to help you to learn new skills in caring for someone and yourself.
- Practical help and advice or information about financial support on the Carer Gateway web pages.
You don't have to know exactly what to ask for – you can just talk through any problems you are having, and Carer Gateway staff will try to match you with services that can help.
Who will deliver these services?
Each region in Australia has a Carer Gateway service provider. This means that the person you talk to knows what support and services are available in the area.
In Victoria, Carer Gateway services are provided by a group of seven health and social support providers, led by Merri Health. It includes Alfred Health, Grampians Health, Barwon Health, Bendigo Health Care Group, FamilyCare, and Uniting (Victoria and Tasmania) Ltd.
Collectively, we have more than 100 years of experience supporting carers in Victoria.
Where can I find out more?
Everything you need to know about carer support is available by visiting the Carer Gateway website or calling 1800 422 737, Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm local time. You can also request a call back here.
Download a Carer Gateway brochure here
Download an Easy Read Carer Gateway brochure here
E-referrals for Carer Gateway:
Carer Gateway has developed a new method for health professionals to refer carers to the free service, with referrals now able to be made online simply and safety. Visit: Carer Gateway - Make a Referral (carergatewayvictoria.org.au)
