Carers are a crucial part of the aged care system. Without them, it would be impossible to provide the support needed by care recipients nationwide.
However, it is important to remember that carers are people too and should also have access to the support they need. Working in the aged care industry can be a rewarding experience but also one that is mentally and emotionally draining. This makes it vital that support workers are able to access resources that assist them in receiving the support they need.
To this end, many useful services have been created and implemented for carers. These include Carer Gateway and Wellways, initiatives designed to provide support for carers.
What is Carer Gateway?
Carer Gateway is a free government service that provides assistance to carers. A wide range of services are available, depending on each support worker’s specific needs. Carer Gateway is available for all support workers, regardless of age or support type.
Whether you’re looking to improve your skills as a carer or access emotional support, Carer Gateway is a service worth investigating.
How can Carer Gateway help?
Carer Gateway understands that support work can be a challenging task. In order to assist care providers, Carer Gateway has worked to establish several free services. These include:
- Support groups – Carer Gateway can connect you to in-person or online peer support groups, where you can discuss problems, achievements, and goals with similar people
- Counselling – If you are experiencing negative emotions as a result of your support work, Carer Gateway can connect you with in-person or phone counselling sessions
- Coaching – Carer Gateway can put you in touch with professional coaches who can help you improve your care skills, create plans and goals for support, and discuss your experiences
- Respite services – Should you find yourself in a scenario wherein you cannot provide support work (such as an injury), Carer Gateway offers emergency respite. Their team will organize temporary care while you are unavailable
- Support Packages – Carer Gateway can help you organise additional support, such as transportation or respite
- Skill Courses – A number of courses have been created to assist with your support work
Each of these services can be accessed independently whenever required. In the event you are feeling overwhelmed, or you get sick or injured, Carer Gateway can connect you with the resources you need to organisation continued support for your care recipient.
Even the best support workers can fall ill or become burned out. In the aged care space, it is crucial to have reliable backups in place should you be unavailable to assist a care recipient. Carer Gateway is your go-to resource for planning future respite and additional care options.
Available service providers
Each state has different organisations in place to provide Carer Gateway services. Below is a list of the service providers in each state:
State Carer Gateway Provider
Queensland Wellways
New South Wales Wellways
The Benevolent Society
Carers NSW
Live Better
Victoria Merri Health Community Services
Western Australia Carers WA
South Australia Carers SA
Tasmania Care2Serve
Northern Territory Carers NT
Australia Capital Territory Carers ACT
Each organisation is responsible for delivering support services to care workers in its region, preventing any one organisation from being overloaded with requests for assistance. It also means that services can be provided from local resources.
The organisations selected to pair with Carer Gateway have been selected due to their exemplary care records. Furthermore, each of these organisations is either a government run entity or a not-for-profit, meaning your needs will always be prioritised.
Emergency assistance
One of the most critical features of Carer Gateway is the emergency assistance that is offered. While emergencies are always unexpected, having a plan in place can help to prevent the worst outcomes.
Carer Gateway has tools available to assist you with emergency planning.
Using Carer Gateway
To access Carer Gateway, call 1800 422 737 between 8 AM and 5 PM, Monday through Friday. A staff member will then walk you through the registration process.
You can also request the Carer Gateway team contact you by completing this form.
Alternatively, you can visit the Carer Gateway website here for more information.
Trilogy Care can help
Trilogy Care understands that support work can be challenging work. Carer Gateway is one resource available to you as a carer whenever you need support.
Additionally, Trilogy Care has many resources available to support you. Our website contains a number of helpful blogs and articles. We have also created a FAQs page for common inquiries we receive.
Alternatively, you can contact us at any time on 1800 214 794 or visit our website to contact us.
