- Understanding your relative or friend's illness
- Having time for yourself in the day
- Managing your relative or friend's symptoms
- Help with financial, legal and work issues
- Providing personal care for your relative or friend
- Dealing with your feelings and worries
- Who to contact when you're concerned about your friend or relative
- Looking after your own health
- Equipment to help care for your relative or friend
- Beliefs or spiritual concerns
- Talking with your relative or friend about their illness
- Practical help in the home
- What to expect in the future when caring for a friend or relative
- Getting a break from caring overnight
- Young carers
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander carers
- LGBTIQ+ community
Getting a break from caring overnight
Carers care 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It can be exhausting. You may feel you need a break from caring overnight. This is normal and having a break can help you to continue caring for your loved one.
Here are some useful and endorsed information, resources and links on overnight respite care:
Palliative Care Program
Your Palliative Care team may:
- Refer you to MACS Complete Care (in partnership with Hospice Foundation Geelong), which offers a range of services, including in home overnight respite, provided by qualified palliative care personal care workers
- Arrange an overnight respite stay if there are beds available in the Palliative Care Unit
- Encourage you to register as early as possible for Barwon Health Carer Respite Services Carer Respite Services, so that if you need to access these services you are already registered.
- Refer you to Aged Care Assessment Service (ACAS) for respite.
- Encourage you to ask family and friends for help overnight.
Helpful resources and links
- Respite Barwon South West provides information to all people with an interest in respite
- MACS Complete Care Palliative Care services
- Barwon Health Carer Support, Free Call 1800 052 222
Last Modified: Monday, 18 February 2019