The initiative provides tailored packages that are easily accessed in our region that support specific needs – including respite – of children from age seven and adults.
A service with many key links
The free local service links Carer Gateway with Government agencies such as Service Australia, NDIS, My Aged Care and Disability Gateway, so that personalised packages can be tailored to the carer’s needs following an individual planning process with a local service provider. Eligible carers can qualify for educational resources, counseling, Peer and First Nations support, and respite supports in different forms.
The Young Carer Support Program is a significant arm of Carer Gateway. Orange-based carer planner Britney Doble-Drummond explained that “Young carers are people aged under 25 years who help look after a family member (including a sibling) with a disability, medical condition, mental illness or who is frail due to age – this could be their parents, siblings, grandparents etc.”
Registration is the key
The intake team taking the calls can quickly register the parent and/or young carer who makes a referral, and any adult can assist with that call. Once the team have completed the registration, Carers are then referred through to a planner who will follow up with the Carer.
“These young carers will likely be doing additional things around the home that people their age normally would not, like cooking dinner most nights, assisting with personal care, or missing out on activities their peers attend due to their caring responsibilities,” she said, adding that “Most of these young people won’t even identify that they are in a caring role, it’s just a part of their life.”
Needs driven support
The Young Carer Support Program delivers a wide range of age-specific services including driving lessons and driver awareness education, emergency respite, help identifying carer goals and free coaching to achieve goals.
“For these programs we offer peer support and wellness activities which can entail taking a group of young carers to the movies or bowling, where they can meet others in similar roles or are going through similar stressors,” Britney said. “This creates a space for them to talk about their caring role with people that understand.”
Another initiative, the Young Carer Club, runs regularly during school terms once a fortnight from 3:30 to 5:00 pm on Mondays in Orange, where carers under 18-year-old enjoy craft and games designed to promote peer to peer engagement.
Each school holidays Young Carer planners like Britney also run Young Carer camps which involve overnight stays, and fun things kayaking, hiking and horse-riding.
Britney appears at regional expos, schools and community events spreading the word about Carer Gateway and encourages people into the Carer Gateway’s welcoming and supportive community.
She said there’s room for more uptake of their services in this area. “Many people approach me and say, ‘Yes, I’m a young carer’, but most are not taking the next step to register with Carer Gateway,” she lamented. “Within Orange we have around 40 participants and across the region of Cowra, Bathurst and Dubbo there are about double that. It sounds like a big number, but it’s not in comparison to the population of the Central West. The point is that many who are eligible are not registered.”
Pick up the phone for life-changing support
Who can register for Carer Gateway programs? Parents/Guardians can register their child as secondary carer of a family member; adult carers can register siblings who are under 18; and parents being cared for can register their under-age child. No GP referral is required. Anybody can assist the caller to register a carer, but parent or guardian consent is required. Simply phone 1800 422 737 or connect via the Carer Gateway website and request a call back. For a full list of services for carers, including peer groups, tailored packages, counseling, courses, coaching, tips and other government support available now visit Carer Gateway.
We know that many young carers find themselves caring for someone and looking after a household before they have all the life skills they need.
The good news is that there is a lot of information online to help you. We have gathered some of the household basics together for you to explore.
Learning how to use a washing machine to get the best results isn’t hard, but there are a few tips and tricks to know.
This guide gives you a useful overview – How to do your own laundry – a guide for beginners. Most washing powders or liquids also have guides on their websites, so you can look up your brand online to see what they say.
The key to cleaning is to do a little but do it often. This Beginner’s guide to cleaning takes you through each area of the house step by step, and lets you know what to look for and what to do. There are lots of other cleaning tips on the Stay-at-home mum website.
As a carer, you may also be able to get help at home with cleaning, gardening or other chores.
We all enjoy a home-cooked meal, and cooking for yourself and the person you care for can save you money. There are many recipes and videos about cooking available online.
If you want to start simply, the Easy dinner page on Allrecipes and the Stay-at-home mum website have many simple, practical recipes for families.
As a carer, you may also be able to get help with cooking or meals.
You might be in charge of the household budget, or might need to keep an eye on spending each week. Making a budget helps you to manage your money and make sure you have enough for everything you need.
How to do a budget from MoneySmart or Your complete guide to budgeting will talk you through the steps to making a budget. These websites also have tips about saving money.
You might not think you have to learn how to go shopping, but there are a few tips that can help you to shop within your budget and make sure you bring home the things you need each week.
Australian grocery shopping – a beginners’s guide and Everyday products that should be on your grocery list are good places to start. There are also many useful guides on how to save money when you shop, such as 18 tips to reduce your groceries.
