How can we help?

We work to improve the health, wellbeing, resilience and financial security of carers, and to ensure that caring is a shared responsibility of family, community and government.

Carer Wellbeing Survey

National Carer Strategy

Young Carers Network

Carer-Inclusive Workplace Initiative

  • Who we are

    Carers Australia is the national peak body representing Australia’s unpaid carers, advocating on their behalf to influence policies and services at a national level.

    Carers Australia recognises and values employees who have an unpaid caring responsibility and the contribution they make to the health and wellbeing of the people they care for.

    We are a Care-Inclusive Workplace!

    What we do

    Carers Australia advocates and lobbies on a wide range of issues that affect carers. We also manage the delivery of national programs, support and services for carers across Australia.

    We work in collaboration with carers, Carers Associations, government and peak bodies to develop policy, advocacy, programs and events to improve the lives of Australia’s 3 million carers.

  • Who is a carer?

    Carers are people who provide unpaid care and support to family members and friends who have a disability, mental illness, chronic condition, terminal illness, an alcohol or other drug issue or who are frail aged.

    What does a carer do?

    Commonly, carers are responsible for the management of medications. Carers provide emotional, social or financial support. Caring may also involve helping the person they are caring for to be organised, reminding them to attend appointments and dealing with emergencies.

    Carers provide 2.2 billion hours of unpaid care per year in Australia

    There are currently 3 million unpaid carers in Australia

    The replacement value of the unpaid care provided is $77.9 billion per year in Australia

    287,000 primary carers provide 40 hours or more of unpaid care per week

  • Carers National News
    Carers National News – 13 September 2024

    13 September 2024

    Carers National News
    Carers National News – 30 August 2024

    30 August 2024

    Carers National News
    Carers National News – 16 August 2024

    16 August 2024

  • Submission
    Submission to the Department of Social Services on the draft list of NDIS supports

    28 August 2024 – 365.33 KB

    Carers are very influenced by the NDIS supports on offer to their care recipients and we are concerned that the prescriptive nature proposed by the lists both disempowers people living with a disability and has the potential to further outsource care to their carers.
    Submission
    Submission to the Establishment of a National Aged Care Mandatory Quality Indicator Program for in-home care

    11 July 2024 – 232.01 KB

    Carers Australia welcomes the opportunity to comment on the proposed National Aged Care Mandatory Quality Indicator Program for in-home care. Carers ACT and Carers Victoria have provided input into this submission. In short, we are strongly of the view that there should be more carer inclusion in the Quality Indicators.
    Submission
    Submission to the Office of the Inspector-General of Aged Care: 2024: Review of the administration of My Aged Care

    20 June 2024 – 230.11 KB

    Carers Australia welcomes the opportunity to respond to this consultation. We understand that the Office is seeking lived experience engagement with My Aged Care and that the particular focus is on assessment. We have also promoted this consultation to carers of older people in our newsletter and social media, including the specific questions identified in the Office’s call for submissions.