A carer is a family member, partner, friend or neighbour who provides daily care and support to a person with a disability, medical condition, mental illness or who are ageing. Carers are unpaid, however are eligible for Centrelink carer payments.
As a carer, your health and wellbeing is equally as important as that of the person for whom you are caring. The following websites may be helpful in providing information about respite care available, support groups, education and information about mental illness.
Mental Health carer, family and friends guide – Central Coast
This guide provides information specific to the Central Coast Local Health District to help support you in your caring journey.
Mental Health carer, family and friends guide – Central Coast
Carer’s experience of service survey
Your feedback is important to us as it supports our mental health teams to deliver high-quality services. The carer’s experience of service survey (CES) is a nationally developed tool that measures the experiences of carers – from family members to partners or friends – of people who access mental health services. Ask one of our friendly staff for information on how to complete the survey – it can be done in paper form or online.
Support for family members and carers:
Uniting family and carers mental health program (FCMHP)
This program provides:
- education and training on navigating the public mental health system, improving communication skills, living mindfully, mental health first aid, responding safely and effectively to the person you care for
- carer support groups to connect with other carers, hear from guest speakers and share your experiences
- in-person or online individual support, resources and connections to services that meet your unique needs.
Phone: 02 4322 1855
Email: fcmhinfocc@uniting.org
Carer Gateway
Provides free services and support for carers. These include in-person and online social groups, tailored support packages, counselling, self-guided coaching, online skills courses and access to emergency respite.
Phone: 1800 422 737
Carer Gateway
You may also wish to visit our carer support page:
Carer Support