National Carers Week takes place from 11–17 October 2026. This year, Carers Victoria is inviting everyone in our community to Care for a Carer.
More than 750,000 Victorians provide unpaid care to someone in their family or community. Carers may be parents, children, partners, relatives or friends. They support people in many ways, including with personal and health care, transport, household tasks, emotional support, financial matters and navigating complex service systems.
This contribution is especially crucial in palliative care, where carers often play an essential role in providing comfort, dignity, and compassionate support while a person is living with a life-limiting illness.
Together, Victoria’s unpaid carers provide more than 500 million hours of care each year. The estimated replacement value of this care is over $18 billion annually - about the same as the Victorian Government spends on health care.
Care for a Carer
Small acts of support can make a meaningful difference to a carer’s wellbeing and help make their day a little easier.
- Check in. Ask a carer you know how they are going and whether there is something practical you can do to help.
- Offer a break. Give them time to rest, recharge or do something for themselves.
- Acknowledge their contribution. Let them know their care, time and effort are seen and valued.
- Take the initiative. Carers often put the needs of the person they care for first, so offer specific support rather than waiting to be asked.
Social isolation can have a significant impact on carer wellbeing. Carers Victoria helps carers connect through more than 400 Carer Support Groups across the state, as well as events hosted by Carers Victoria and other organisations.
To mark National Carers Week, Carers Victoria has funded 176 Carer Support Groups across Victoria to deliver events for more than 3,700 carers. These events, along with many others, are listed on the Events for Carers page on the Carers Victoria website. Please share this information with carers in your network so they can find an event that suits their interests, location and availability.
Help us spread the word
Partners can help raise awareness of National Carers Week by sharing these messages with their communities and encouraging people to Care for a Carer. Join the conversation on social media using #NCW26 #CarersVictoria #CareforaCarer.
Find out more
Carers Victoria are a member of the Victorian Palliative Care Alliance, a group of 15 non-profit organisations with touch points across palliative care who have come together to support palliative care advocacy, as part of PCV’s Calls to Action for the 2026 State Election, Tomorrow’s Care Starts Today!