Carers
Carers provide unpaid ongoing support to family or friends with disability, age-related frailty or chronic illness. They can be partners, parents, children, friends, neighbours or colleagues who provide assistance with personal care, lifting, mobility, administering medication, banking, shopping or housework.
One in eight South Australians are carers. They come from all walks of life, all cultures and all age groups. Most of us will either be carers or require care at some point in our lives.
A survey of South Australian carers shows that:
- there are now 245,000 carers in South Australia (an increase from 219,000 people in 2012)
- most carers live in the SA metropolitan area (185,000 people or 75.51%) compared to SA regional areas (60,000 people or 24.9%)
- 37% of carers have a disability, compared with 16% of people in a non-caring role
- 42% require transport support
- Carers don't receive NDIS support as they are not assessed or funded separately to care recipients.
Caring is a role that can be both rewarding but also costly in terms of life opportunities, financial security and health. We support those who support others by:
- administering the South Australian Carers Recognition Act 2005 that acknowledges the valuable role of carers in the community and guides government agencies in their interactions with carers
- building on the commitments of the Act with our strategic plan - We Care: Our Plan for South Australian Carers - that helps address the needs of carers.
Carers SA is the lead provider in SA for carer services under the national Integrated Carer Support Scheme and Carer Gateway.
Carer Resources
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