Behind every person ageing at home or living with disability, there’s often someone quietly holding everything together. This is for them.
In Australia, around three million people are unpaid carers—about one in eight of us.
They’re parents, partners, children, siblings, friends and neighbours. Some are in their 80s caring for a spouse. The average carer is 50.
In Regional Queensland—where services can be thin and distances are long—carers don’t just support households. They keep communities going.
If you’re a carer, you know the drill: medications, appointments, showers, transport, reassurance—and the mental load behind it all. There’s no 5pm finish.
But it’s also love. Deep, fierce, complicated love.
You might already be a carer
You don’t need a label to deserve support. If you regularly help someone with personal care, medication, transport, paperwork or emotional support because of disability, illness or age, you’re a carer. Naming the role is often the first step to getting help.
The toll we don’t talk about
The strain is real. A 2023 national survey of nearly 6,000 Australian carers found 58% reported low wellbeing.
Carers are lonelier than other adults and 1.4 times more likely to face significant financial distress.
Only about 63% of working-age carers with regular responsibilities are in paid work.
In regional Queensland, where the nearest specialist might be hours away, that pressure can hit even harder.
If any of this feels familiar, hear this: you’re not failing. You’re carrying more than most people ever see.
Help is closer than you think
Help doesn’t have to wait for crisis point.
Free national and state-funded services offer unpaid carers counselling, coaching, peer support and respite. Many can be accessed with a single phone call and no referral. Your GP or support groups at the expo can point you in the right direction.
Respite—one of the most underused supports in regional Queensland—might mean a few hours at a day program, an in-home visit, or a planned break. Either way, it can make a real difference.
You may also qualify for financial support. Carer Payment is for people who can’t work much because of caring responsibilities. Carer Allowance supports people providing daily care.
Both are administered by Services Australia, yet many eligible carers never apply.
If getting out of the house is hard, support can come to you. More counselling, coaching and peer groups are available by phone or video. Even a short, regular call can shift the load.
The thing other carers know
Being heard matters. Peer support isn’t about fixing each other. It’s about recognition.
One small step
If you take one thing away, let it be this: caring for yourself isn’t selfish. It’s what makes the rest possible.
Make the call. Book the coffee. Come and find us at the expo, and we’ll help you connect with the right support. Because everyone deserves care—including the people giving it.
