Support for carers
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Do you look after a family member or friend and need a break? We can help. Caring for someone can be both rewarding and demanding, and it’s easy to put your own needs last. Deb, a local carer who looks after her eighteen-year-old son, her parents and her other children, knows this well. “It’s not just the physical helping someone,” she says. “There’s a big mental load I find as well — the appointments, and just always being on alert for what might happen next.”
Our Support for Carers Program exists to help carers look after themselves, not just the person they care for — because when carers are well, everyone benefits. We can organise things like a break, support around the home, wellbeing activities, or learning and technology support for study or health.
For Deb, that support has made a real difference. “Even an hour or two just to go and have a massage, or a break from the mental load and the physical load, is very much needed a lot of the time,” she says. “And just knowing there was someone who could help when I needed something was really good.”
How to apply
To get this help, the person you care for must live in Merri-bek, and you’ll need to show you’re a carer (for example, a Carers Allowance Payment or other supporting documents).
To apply, call 9240 2302 or email carersupport@merri-bek.