You Are Not Failing — You Are Exhausted

Carer burnout is real. If you’re caring for someone with high or complex needs, you already know this is not a sprint. It’s not even a marathon. It’s a marathon up a mountain. It’s steep, uneven, and often isolating.

Others might see your strength, your reliability, your fierce loyalty.

What they don’t see is the toll it takes. The tears behind closed doors. The nights you lie awake wondering how much longer you can keep this up. The quiet, invisible grief for the parts of your life that feel paused — or gone.

Let’s be clear: You are not broken. You are not weak.
You are carrying more than most people ever will — and fatigue is not a character flaw.

But here’s what you also need to hear:
Burnout is not inevitable.
There are ways to care for your loved one without losing yourself. There are tools, resources, and people who can help — and a life waiting on the other side of the fog.

What Does Carer Burnout Look Like?

Carer burnout doesn’t always look like collapsing on the floor — sometimes it’s subtle, slow, and silent:

• You snap more easily than you used to
• You feel numb or detached, even from the person you love
• You struggle to focus, sleep, or feel joy
• You fantasise about escaping… but feel guilty for even thinking that
• You’re too tired to ask for help

If any of this sounds familiar, it doesn’t mean you’re not a good carer. It means you’re a good human, trying to do an inhuman amount of work — often alone.

The Science: Your Brain Needs More Than Just Sleep to Prevent Carer Burnout

According to Dr. Dan Siegel, clinical professor of psychiatry and renowned neuroscientist, a healthy mind needs more than just rest — it needs a balance of seven daily activities.

🧠 You don’t just need rest. You need restoration. That’s how you recover. That’s how you keep going — not with more sacrifice, but with strategic self-care.

So What Can You Actually Do about Carer Burnout?

1. Accept That You Weren’t Meant to Do This Alone

It’s okay to admit that you need help.
You can still love deeply and ask for support. You can still be strong and say, “This is too much.” Asking for help isn’t a weakness — it’s a protective factor.

If your family is supportive, involve them. If they’re not (or they’re already stretched), there are still options.

2. Use Your Respite Funding — Guilt-Free Carer Burnout Prevention

Respite isn’t just about taking a break — it’s about creating breathing space, restoring energy, and ensuring you can keep showing up with care and compassion.

Under your NDIS plan, respite can take a few different forms, depending on what works best for you and your family:

• In-home respite: A support worker comes to your home to care for the person you usually support, allowing you to rest, go out, attend appointments, or simply enjoy some personal time — without worrying about logistics or disruptions.
• Out-of-home respite: The person you care for is supported in an alternate location — which might be a short-term accommodation service, a trusted family member’s house (if approved), or a private rental such as an Airbnb or hotel (with planning). This can provide a refreshing change of scenery and allow for more extended breaks.
• Flexible timeframes: Respite can be a few hours, a full day, overnight, a weekend, or longer depending on your plan and your needs. The key is finding what feels most helpful and sustainable for you.

Some families use respite to attend important events, take a short holiday, or simply catch up on sleep and self-care. Others build it into their routine — like every second Saturday — to help maintain balance over the long term.

At Shield of Care, we work with you to make respite feel easy, safe, and genuinely helpful. We’ll talk through your options, match you with the right support worker, and tailor the arrangement so it meets your needs and your loved one’s needs with compassion and flexibility.

🧡 Your rest matters too.

3. Build Two Support Teams You Trust

When you’re caring for someone with high-intensity needs — whether that’s behavioural complexity, physical disability, or complex medical support — it’s easy to feel like you have to do it all yourself.

But you weren’t meant to carry this alone.

You need two teams:
🔸 A team around the participant — to meet their support needs with dignity and skill.
🔸 And a team around you — to ensure you don’t burn out in the process.

A Team Around the Participant

This is your frontline crew: the people who know your loved one’s routines, strengths, needs, and quirks. The ones who turn up on time, understand their preferences, communicate with kindness, and truly care.

A strong participant team might include:

• Support workers who show up with consistency and compassion
• Allied health professionals who understand the participant’s therapeutic goals
• Support coordinators who help navigate funding, plans, and services
• Nurses for medical needs (like enteral feeding, wound care, etc.)
• Community connectors who help re-engage the person in meaningful activities

But it’s not just about having people “on the books.”
It’s about having the right people — who are compassionate, values-aligned, and committed to helping your loved one thrive, not just survive.

A Team Around You

Here’s the part that often gets missed.

You also need a team that cares for you.

That might look like:

• A respite support worker who steps in while you recharge
• A support coordinator who helps problem-solve and advocate for the family’s needs
• A friend or sibling who checks in regularly (even just for a chat or coffee)
• A counsellor, psychologist, or GP who helps you process the emotional weight
• A peer support network of other carers who truly understand what you’re going through

Sometimes family is involved and helpful — and sometimes they’re far away or already stretched thin. That’s okay. Your “care team” doesn’t have to be big to be powerful. What matters most is reliability, empathy, and trust.

You deserve people around you who say, “I’ve got this — go take a moment.”

🤝 Preventing Carer Burnout At Shield of Care

We believe in care that extends beyond the participant — because when carers are supported, the whole system works better.
We don’t just show up to do a task. We join your team. We see your load, and we help carry it.

That means:

• Matching you with support workers who truly suit your needs and values
• Communicating clearly and consistently
• Offering flexible support options, including respite
• Staying committed for the long haul

When you’re ready to breathe again, rest again, hope again — we’ll be right there beside you.

👉 If you’re still choosing a provider, you might find our 10 Questions to Ask Before Choosing an NDIS Provider helpful.

5. Talk to Someone About Carer Burnout Who Gets It

This might be a psychologist. A support coordinator. A carer’s peer group. Or even your GP.
You don’t have to carry this all in your own head. Speaking it aloud is the first step toward finding clarity, options, and support.

You’re not weak for needing help — you’re wise for reaching out.

Helpful Resources for Carers in Queensland

Carer Gateway – National Free Support Service

A federal initiative providing free services across Australia for unpaid carers—including phone and online counselling, tailored support packages, planned and emergency respite, peer groups, and skills courses.
𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐭: 1800 422 737 (Mon–Fri, 8 am–5 pm)

Queensland Government – Carer Support

The Queensland Government offers a range of services for carers, including advice on planning, financial support, legal information, Companion Cards, and Carer Business Discount Cards.

Carers Queensland

A community-based organisation advocating for carers across the state—providing events, workshops, online communities, and one-on-one support. Offices are located throughout Queensland for easier access.

Department of Families, Seniors, Disability Services and Child Safety (Qld)

The state government department responsible for carer-related policy, planning supports for carers, and helpful publications on maintaining carer wellbeing.

Respite and Palliative Care Support

Planning for respite or end-of-life care? The Queensland Health site covers options like in-home or centre-based respite, advance care planning, and related services.

You Deserve More Than Survival

Let’s Take One Step Toward Rest, Together

If you’re at the edge of burnout — or already deep in it — you don’t have to figure it all out today.
But maybe today, you take one small step.

Call us:

1300 289 132

Send us an enquiry and find out how we can support you

Download our FREE “Getting Started with the NDIS” Checklist.

You’re not alone. You’re not failing.
And you don’t have to do this alone.

Shield of Care — With You. For You. Always.