DEMENTIA AUSTRALIA
and Carers Australia have joined forces to call for urgent Federal Government leadership and investment, warning shortages, long waiting lists and rising costs are leaving families struggling to access suitable care.
The organisations say the consequences extend beyond exhausted carers, with inadequate respite potentially contributing to hospital admissions and people living with dementia entering residential aged care earlier than necessary.
The push comes as an estimated 446,500 Australians are living with dementia, many supported at home by family members and other unpaid carers.
Findings from the 2025 Carer Wellbeing Survey highlighted the scale of the challenge, with six in 10 carers reporting difficulty finding high-quality respite care.
Almost 60 per cent struggled to find available services in their local area, while more than half reported difficulty affording respite and faced long waits to access services.
Dementia Australia Chief Executive Officer Tanya Buchanan said respite was not simply about giving carers time away from their responsibilities but was a fundamental part of helping families continue caring for loved ones at home.
“Respite is not a luxury,” Professor Buchanan said.
“It is a critical support that helps carers manage the physical and emotional impacts of caring, and especially for younger carers, the financial impact. When respite is unavailable, inaccessible or unsuitable, carers are more likely to experience burnout and reach crisis points.”
Those crisis points could have much wider consequences.
Prof Buchanan said inadequate support increased the risk of unplanned hospitalisation or premature entry into residential aged care for the person receiving care, creating further pressure on families as well as Australia’s health and aged care systems.
