Hunter New England carer support program

About our carer support program 

If you are new or very experienced in the caring role, a health professional working with carers, an employee of the health service balancing work and caring, or a health service manager wishing to conduct a quality exercise for carers, our carer support program can assist you with useful information and links.

A carer provides ongoing, unpaid support to a family member, neighbour or friend who needs help because of disability, terminal illness, chronic illness, mental illness and/or ageing.

Anyone can be a carer, including partners, parents, friends, siblings, neighbours and children.

Supporting families and carers is pivotal to achieving strong outcomes in healthcare. The aim of our carer support program is to create a carer culture within the Hunter New England Local Health District.

Parent and carer advocacy

As a carer you play an essential role in advocating for you loved one's health and wellbeing. 

The information in this section can help you speak up for yourself and your loved ones, become a stronger advocate and get help with speaking up.

Build skills and get support to self-advocate

If you find it difficult to speak up or want to get better at advocating for your loved one (your child or family member), you can build this capacity. 

You can strengthen your ability to self-advocate, which means learning how to stand up for your loved one's needs, including:

• Educating yourself about their condition and treatment options.
• Learning about their rights and entitlements. 
• Building relationships with their healthcare professionals.
• Connecting with other families with similar conditions.
• Practising communication skills like being assertive, active listening, and negotiation.
• Seeking support from advocacy organisation, support groups or counselling services.  

Organisations like Carer Gateway and Kindred offer many resources and supports, including coaching and online lessons to help parents and caregivers to build their skills, including advocacy.

You are always encouraged to speak up if you have any concerns about your loved one's health. They have the right to be heard and listened to. Learn more about raising concerns using the REACH system.

Advocacy organisations

• Carers Australia: information, advice and support to carers across Australia.
• Family Advocacy: support for the rights of people with intellectual disability and their families.
• Disability Advocacy NSW: advocacy services for people with disability in New South Wales.
• The Raising Children Network: information for families of children with disabilities.
• The Benevolent Society: help for families, including support and advocacy for children with disabilities.
• Health Consumers NSW: information and tools to help people understand how they can use their own experiences with healthcare to make the health system better.

Resources for carers and staff

• Walking with carers factsheet (PDF 1.61MB)
• Carers health and wellbeing factsheet  (PDF 2.41MB)
• Carers and partners in care factsheet (PDF 157.12KB) 
• A carers journey in the hospital setting – coming to hospital, what happens next? (PDF 331.47KB) 
• A carers journey in the hospital setting – coming to hospital, who is the treating team? (PDF 327.68KB)