About Carers
A carer is someone who provides ongoing, unpaid care and support to someone who needs help because of a disability, mental illness, alcohol or drug dependency, chronic condition, terminal illness or who is frail due to age. The NSW Carers (Recognition) Act 2010 recognises this important contribution and places obligations on all NSW public sector agencies in relation to carers.
A carer may be a partner or spouse, family member, friend, or neighbour.
Carers come from a diverse range of backgrounds, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander carers, culturally and linguistically diverse carers and LGBTQI+ carers.
What carers do
Carers take on a range of responsibilities to support individuals who are unable to fully care for themselves. The support and care carers provide can vary greatly and may change over time.
| Personal care | Assisting with activities such as bathing, dressing, grooming and toileting |
|---|---|
| Medical care | Administering medications, monitoring health conditions and coordinating medical appointments |
| Emotional support | Providing companionship, lending a listening ear and offering emotional reassurance |
| Household tasks | Performing household chores, cooking, cleaning and shopping |
| Mobility assistance and transport | Helping with moving around, using mobility aids or transferring from one place to another |
| Financial management | Assisting with budgeting, bill payments, and managing financial affairs |
| Advocacy | Representing the care recipient's interests, communicating with healthcare professionals and ensuring their needs are met |
| Social | Assisting with access to social activities to maintain the person's social connections |
Partners in Care
Our District recognises carers as Partners in Care and acknowledges the valuable insights they provide about the person they care for. By working with carers, we can improve the experiences of our patients.
Carer Experience Survey
Our District would like to know about your experience as a carer when engaging with our services and facilities. Your feedback will help us to improve our patient and carer experiences.
Start survey
Carers Rights
The NSW Carers (Recognition) Act 2010 formally acknowledges the contribution carers make to our society and requires all public servants, including NSW Health Staff, to recognise and support carers. The requirements are clearly outlined in the Carers Charter.
The Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights describes what you and the person you care for can expect when receiving health care in hospital, outpatient clinics, general practice, and community health services.
For more information, you can contact Health Consumers NSW on 02 9986 1082 or visit hcnsw.org.au
Get Involved
The Carer Program recognises the value of involving local carers in the planning, development, and evaluation of our services.
If you live in Sydney Local Health District and you or the person you care for have used our services, you can get involved in a few different ways:
Join our Community Participation Network. Have input and provide feedback on our services.