Article
What Do We Mean When We Say 'Carer'?
The word carer can mean different things depending on the context. In some places, it refers to people employed in aged care or disability services. In others, it describes family members or friends providing unpaid support. Globally, you’ll also hear terms like caregiver, family carer, or informal carer.
For clarity, when we talk about carers here, we are referring to unpaid, informal carers - the people who step in to support a loved one because illness, disability, mental health, addiction, or the challenges of ageing make it hard for that person to manage alone.
Carers are everywhere, though often invisible. Many don’t identify with the word carer at all - they see themselves simply as a parent, child, partner, or friend. But their role is significant. A daughter taking her mum with dementia to endless medical appointments. A father navigating services for his autistic child. A husband supporting his wife through chemotherapy. A neighbour helping someone with severe depression. These are all carers.
In Australia, 1 in 8 people are unpaid carers (Carers Australia). That’s more than 2.65 million people. Globally, there are estimated to be over 350 million informal carers (OECD Family Database). These numbers are rising as lifespans increase, healthspans lag behind, and more years are lived with complex conditions.
Carers support people across every stage of life and every type of condition:
Dementia and other neurological conditions
Chronic and terminal illness
Disability
Autism and developmental conditions
Mental illness
Addiction and substance dependency
Age-related frailty
Despite their critical role, carers are rarely counted, rarely acknowledged, and rarely supported. Their work keeps loved ones safe, enables independence where possible, and eases pressure on health and aged care systems. But it often comes at a personal cost - financial strain, exhaustion, and social isolation are common.
Carers are not a side-group in society. They are the quiet backbone of families, workplaces, and communities. And as the gap between lifespan and healthspan widens, their role will only grow.
