Approximately 854,300 people in New South Wales (NSW) provide unpaid care and support to a family member or friend who needs assistance because of disability, mental illness, drug and/or alcohol dependency, chronic condition, terminal illness or who is frail. Without opportunities to take breaks from the caring role, often known as ‘respite’, many carers cannot continue caring sustainably.

This paper calls on all levels of government, as well as the private and community sectors, to explore opportunities to increase access to respite for carers across NSW. 

The paper highlights how shifts to consumer directed care models in the aged care, disability and mental health sectors have eroded opportunities for carers in NSW to take regular, meaningful breaks from caring, potentially jeopardising carer wellbeing. It seeks to reposition the concept of carer respite within these changing service systems and provide an evidence base to support the ongoing provision of supports that enable carers to take a break.

Repositioning respite in consumer directed service systems provides clear guidance for future direction and opportunities, through 68 recommendations for tangible actions by governments and other stakeholders can take to improve access to respite for carers in NSW.