Queensland Carer Support: Services & Help Available

You’re sitting at the kitchen table past midnight, searching “finding support for carers” for the third time this week. Between managing medications, attending appointments, and trying to hold everything together, you barely have time to breathe. The person you care for needs you, but right now, you need someone too.

You know there must be support out there, but figuring out where to start feels like another impossible task. If you’re caring for a family member with a life-limiting illness in Queensland, you’re not alone in feeling this way. PalAssist and other Queensland carer support services exist specifically to help families like yours.

In this article, we’ll walk you through the support services available across Queensland. You’ll learn which services to contact first and where to find help that understands your caring journey.

Read on to learn how you can find the right support for your caring role.

Table of Contents

What Support Can Queensland Carers Access?

Queensland carer support includes free counselling services, respite care programs, emotional support helplines, and connections to local palliative care services across the state. If this sounds like you, you might be wondering what’s available beyond generic advice.

Here’s what Queensland offers for carers like you:

Free Telephone and Online Counselling

Free telephone and online counselling gives you someone to talk to right away, including 24-hour helplines and nurses who understand terminal illness. You might be wondering if your situation is “serious enough” to call, and the answer is yes. These services are here for any carer who needs to talk.

Respite Care Options

Respite care options let you take breaks without feeling guilty, from a few hours to overnight stays or regular weekly help. You might need someone to stay with the person you care for while you attend an appointment. Or perhaps you need a weekend away, or just a proper night’s sleep. Respite services recognise that caring for yourself isn’t selfish.

Practical Assistance Programs

Practical assistance programs connect you with local community palliative services, advance care planning information, and handle logistics, freeing you for caregiving. When you connect with these programs, they can help coordinate care across different health services. This means you’re not making endless phone calls yourself.

PalAssist: Your Direct Line to Palliative Care Support

The best part about PalAssist is that you’re speaking directly with nurses who specialise in palliative care. Starting with PalAssist removes the guesswork about who to contact first when you’re caring for someone with a life-limiting illness. If you’ve been putting off reaching out because you don’t know where to begin, this is your starting point.

Multiple Ways to Connect

PalAssist offers free life-limiting illness support via 1800 772 273 between 7 am and 7 pm daily. More support, like online chat, request a callback, or send an email, is also available.

You can choose whatever feels most comfortable for you right now. You might prefer talking to someone immediately, or sending an email at 3 am when worries keep you awake.

Experienced Palliative Care Professionals

Registered nurses and allied health professionals answer your calls. These are people with palliative care experience who can guide you properly.

Through our work with Queensland Health, PalAssist team members understand the specific challenges you face when caring for someone approaching the end of life.

This includes symptom management questions and emotional support during this difficult time.

PalAssist Nurse Counselling Service

The PalAssist Nurse Counselling Service delivers up to two telephone sessions plus follow-up support for distress accompanying terminal diagnosis caregiving. These aren’t quick five-minute calls.

You’ll have dedicated one-on-one support sessions where a counsellor works with you to identify coping strategies. They also connect you with ongoing resources you can access from home.

Carer Gateway and Wellways: Broader Support Services

Now that you know about palliative-specific support through PalAssist, Carer Gateway adds another layer of practical help for your daily caring responsibilities.

You might be juggling care for someone with both a terminal illness and other health conditions, like mental illness or disability. Carer Gateway services provide broader support that covers multiple aspects of your caring role.

Here’s what Carer Gateway offers across Queensland:

Free Counselling and Coaching: Carer Gateway connects carers with free counselling, coaching, and respite services via 1800 422 737. You might be worried that registering as a carer will impact your Centrelink payments or other government assistance. It won’t, and you can access these carer gateway services at any stage of your caring journey.
Regional Support Through Wellways: Wellways operates Carer Gateway across Queensland with regional hubs in Cairns, Townsville, Rockhampton, Bundaberg, and Sunshine Coast. If you live hours from Brisbane and wonder whether these services are really for you, Wellways Carer Gateway has team members in your local community who understand the extra isolation carers face. They also understand the limited access to health services that regional carers deal with every day.
24/7 Emergency Respite: Emergency respite support operates around the clock for crises, so help is there when you’ve hit your limit or something unexpected happens. When the person you care for is admitted to the hospital suddenly, you can access emergency assistance any time of day or night. This also applies when you’re dealing with a family emergency on top of your caring role.

Additional Queensland Support Worth Knowing About

Once you’ve connected with primary services, these additional supports help stretch your budget and fill specific gaps in your caring situation. You don’t need to access every service listed here, but knowing what’s available means you can connect with the right support when your individual needs change. If this sounds like information overload, just bookmark this section for later.

Other support services include:

Carers Queensland: Carers Queensland provides the Carer Business Discount Card for approved carers, giving you discounts at 4,300+ Queensland businesses when money’s tight. As the peak body representing carers, Carers Queensland also runs support groups, workshops, and advocacy programs. These programs help other carers share information and connect with people who truly understand your experience.
Arafmi Mental Health Carer Support: Arafmi offers specialized support for mental health carers with a 24-hour helpline at 1300 554 660. They also provide free Brisbane respite accommodation. If the person you care for experiences mental illness alongside their life-limiting condition, Arafmi’s carer support line addresses the unique challenges mental health carers face. This includes peer support groups and respite that gives you space to focus on your own wellbeing.
Community Access Point: The Queensland Government Community Access Point at 1800 600 300 helps you navigate disability and aged care services for multiple health conditions. When you’re unsure whether your situation falls under aged care, disability services, or palliative care, calling this number connects you with someone who can point you toward the right resources and funding options.

Finding Help With Carer Support Services

Caring for someone with a life-limiting illness demands everything you have. The midnight questions and the worry about doing enough are signs you’re human and carrying something incredibly heavy.

The good news is Queensland has services built specifically for families like yours. You can access someone to talk to today, help coordinating appointments, or respite care when you need to recharge.

Start with PalAssist at 1800 772 273 for palliative-specific guidance. From there, they’ll help connect you to additional carer gateway services you need. Make that first call when you’re ready.

Disclaimer

This blog provides general health and product information for educational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, or replace advice from your healthcare professional. Always seek guidance from your GP, nurse, continence advisor, or pharmacist regarding your individual needs. If symptoms persist or you’re unsure about product use, consult a qualified healthcare provider.