Medications, govt assistance

Caring for Someone
Getting Support

If someone you love has kidney disease, you might take on a carer role. This could include helping with:

  • Daily tasks
  • Medications
  • Emotional, social, or financial support

Caring for someone is a big job, and it’s important to know you’re not alone. Support is available for you too.

Working with The Health Care Team

As a carer, you might help organise appointments or support the person you care for during treatment. You may also be part of health care decisions.

Good communication with doctors, nurses, and other health workers is key. You can ask questions, raise concerns, and help your loved one share how they’re feeling.

Helping with Medicines: Tips for Carers

If you’re caring for someone with kidney , helping them take their medicines is an important part of their care. Here are some simple tips to support them:
Ask the doctor for a printed list of all the medicines they take. Help them keep it up to date and store it somewhere easy to find.
 
This could be in a wallet, purse, or on their phone.
 
Ask the healthcare team to explain what the medicines are for and how they work. You can also ask if there are any new medicines that could help.
It helps if family members or other carers know what medicines the person is taking. This can help in case of an emergency.
Some non-prescription medicines (like cold and flu tablets or pain relief) can be harmful for people with kidney .
 
Always check with a doctor, nurse, or pharmacist first.
If the person you care for is having side or finding it hard to afford their medicines, talk to the doctor or pharmacist. There may be other options.
A Home Medicines Review can be helpful. This is when a pharmacist comes to the home (after a from the GP) to check all and give advice about:
 
  • How to take them safely
  • How to store them
  • Whether anything needs changing
 
Ask the doctor if this could be useful.

Make a Sick Day Action Plan

 
Everyone with chronic kidney (CKD) should have a Sick Day Action Plan.
 
This is a list of medicines that should be paused if the person becomes unwell (e.g. has vomiting, diarrhoea, or a fever). Stopping certain medicines at the right time can help protect the kidneys.
 
Ask the doctor to help complete this plan, you can print one out and fill it in together.
Sick Day Action Plan

Financial Support For Carers

If you’re eligible, you may be able to get government payments through Centrelink, such as:

  • Carer Payment: Regular income support
  • Carer Allowance: To help cover care-related costs
  • Carer Supplement: A yearly lump sum payment

Visit the Department of Human Services or Carers Australia websites to learn more.

Centrelink

Getting Help from Others

 
Even if you’re the main carer, you don’t have to do everything alone. It’s okay to ask for help, and to accept it when it’s offered. Even if you’re the person dialysis, others can still help by:
 
  • Doing housework
  • Helping with meals or shopping
  • Picking up kids or running errands
Gather My Crew is a free website that makes it easy to get help from friends, family, and neighbours.
 
You add the tasks you need help with, and your “crew” can choose what to do. The site sends out reminders and updates so everyone stays in the loop.
 
Find out more at: Gather My Crew

Planning Ahead

If your loved one is approaching end-of-life care, it’s important to plan ahead. This might include:

  • Talking about wishes and making a will
  • Planning palliative care
  • Understanding legal tasks that may come later

This can be emotional, but you don’t have to go through it alone. Support is available through your health care team or through Carer Gateway.

Carer Gateway

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