Quick Questions

Who is a Carer?

A Carer is a family member or friend who provides significant levels of care and support to an adult or child who has a disability, a mental illness, a chronic health condition or who is frail aged.

A Carer looks after someone who is unable to look after themselves, with caring playing a major part in their life. Carers assume the caring role voluntarily and informally as part of family and community life and often are quite isolated and in need of support by the time they come to the attention of service providers, with a crisis for either the Carer or the Caree often precipitating a need for an influx of service provision.

What areas do you cover?

The Carer Support & Respite Centre Inc covers the Southern and Eastern Metropolitan areas of  South Australia. To see whether your suburb comes under this area, please click here.

What is Respite?

Respite is quite literally having a break from your caring role that might be for a few hours (most often in your home) every several weeks, or for a longer time for a couple of weeks if the Carer is able to go away on holiday (or if the Carer needs to attend to their own health matters). This length of respite would most likely need to be accommodated as residential care in an aged care facility. The person requiring care would need an ACAT assessment rating to determine whether a Low Care or High Care Nursing home respite placement was required.

Examples of short term respite:

Purely Social, e.g.
- having a coffee or a meal with a friend
- pursuing a personal interest, existing or new
- maintaining relationships with family

Keeping Appointments, e.g.
- Doctor's appointments
- Banking, time to do errands and shopping.

For more information on Respite, please click here.

What can you do for me?

Other than Respite (see above), the Carer Support & Respite Centre Inc provides:

Social Support Activities including:
- Carers Days Off
- Carer Retreats

Education courses including:
- Carer Awareness courses
- Information evenings
- Guest Speakers

Support groups including:
- Monthly, issue-based and social support groups
- Young Carers
- Telephone Support
- The 'Sharing Sheet' newsletter

We also can provide:
- Subsidised massage
- Transport

For more information on other services provided, please click here.

How do I find other services?

The Commonwealth Carelink Centre is an information service designed to put older Australians, people with disabilities and those who care for them in touch with a wide range of community, aged care and disability services.

For more information on the Commonwealth Carelink Centre, please click here.

What if I have an emergency?

CS&RC maintains a 24 hour, 7 day/week Emergency service where in home respite can be provided should the Carer have a medical or other emergency and the Caree is unable to be left. In this situation, a Careworker can be contacted via a 1800 after hours telephone number and can remain with the Caree until family members can be contacted and support be put in place on the next business day.

The emergency number is 1800 059 059.