Carer Respite Centre Southern Region

What is CareLine?

CareLine is a 24 hour telephone information, support and emergency respite service, for people who care for an older person, or a person living with a disability or mental illness.

Phone Freecall *1800 052 222 from 8.30am-5.00pm weekdays only. If the matter is urgent you can call this number 24 hours a day.

*Calls from mobile phones are charged at applicable rates.

Who is a carer?

A carer is someone providing unpaid care for a relative or friend with care or support needs. Carers come from all walks of life, from different ethnic backgrounds and are all ages.

What is Respite Care?

Respite Care provides short breaks for carers and the people they care for. Respite helps carers to find the balance between caring for others and caring for themselves.

Information

Finding the right service to meet your needs can be difficult and time-consuming. CareLine staff can help by providing information on:

Respite services and how to access them, including residential respite, in-home respite, and day programs.

A range of other health and community services available in your area, such as agencies specialising in particular health conditions.

Local self-help and carer support groups.

Your rights and entitlements as a carer.

Your rights and entitlements as a person needing care.

Support

CareLine can give you extra support when you need it.

We can:

Talk confidentially with you about any concerns you may have.

Provide short term support to meet your immediate needs.

Assist you with planning for your needs and those of the person for whom you care.

Advocate and liaise with other services on your behalf.

Make referrals for ongoing support.

Emergency respite

If the unexpected happens, there is a crisis, you need help - what can you do? We're here to provide support whenever an emergency or unplanned situation arises - no matter what time of the day or night it happens.

We can:

Provide immediate in-home respite to assist you in an emergency or unplanned situation.

Assist you to access other emergency/after hours services.

Arrange ongoing care if you require emergency respite for more than a couple of days.

How does the CareLine work?

Telephone the CareLine on 1800 059 059 and speak directly to a trained support worker.

The support worker will discuss your situation with you and the range of options available to help. Any special assistance you, or the person you are caring for might need, will be taken into account.

If you need immediate respite, we can arrange a direct care worker to promptly come to the home of the person you are caring for.

While you are receiving respite we will keep in touch with you.

We will also help you to organise suitable ongoing respite care or other services if required and you are agreeable to us doing so.

CareLine is a free service

Information, support and emergency in-home respite are free. There may be a charge for other services which are arranged to provide ongoing care.

Any charges will be discussed with you before services are commenced.

Which areas does it cover?

The Southern Metropolitan Region covers the Council areas of:

Port Phillip

Stonnington

Glen Eira

Bayside

Kingston

Greater Dandenong

Casey

Cardinia

Frankston

Mornington Peninsula

Your Comments

Please talk with staff about your experience of the service, or if you have a suggestion or complaint.

For information on our grievance procedure, contact the Manager.