Across Australia, around three million unpaid carers provide vital support to family members, friends and loved ones every day.
For people like Kristin Richardson, whose father has PTSD following his service in Vietnam and who also has dementia, caring is done not for money, but out of love, kindness, and sometimes necessity.
“I’m the person he turns to, the one he calls when he needs help or reassurance,” she says. “I’m there for his constant needs and I deal with the happy, the sad and the anger he’s facing.”
Unpaid carers make a profound contribution not only to the lives of the people they care for, but also to the wellbeing and cohesion of our wider community. Yet too often, their efforts can be overlooked, underappreciated or misunderstood.
To help change this, the Australian Government is consulting on the development of priority actions from within the National Carer Strategy Action Plan 2024-2027 that relate to:
- improving counselling and mental health support
- exploring options to improve access to respite for unpaid carers
- ways to appropriately support unpaid carers from First Nations, culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) and LGBTQIA+ communities, carers with disability, carers of veterans, and young carers.
The survey invites carers to share their views on how to improve counselling, mental health support, respite services and other assistance that could make a difference in their daily lives. It also asks how governments can better support First Nations carers, culturally and linguistically diverse carers, carers with disability, young carers, LGBTQIA+ carers and carers of veterans.
“More people need to speak up for our vets, and their carers,” Kristin says. “Without us, it would be left to the system to manage their welfare, and realistically, that wouldn’t work. We need better ways to support people in their homes.”
Survey insights will play a critical role in shaping the next phase of the National Carer Strategy and the National Carer Strategy Action Plan, ensuring policies and programs reflect what carers need and value most.
“People are giving up their lives to care for their loved ones,” Kristin says. “We’d do it again and again, but we also need the support and care to be able to give veterans the life they deserve.”
If you are an unpaid carer, we invite you to share your experiences and ideas, but time is running out as the survey is Closes at 11.59 pm (AEDT), 19 November 2025.
Have your say: Complete the National Carer Strategy survey here.