Sometimes carers and family members can become overwhelmed in their duties of looking after someone with a mental illness. In the case where a carer is reaching mental or physical exhaustion, it might be necessary to have a short period of rest or relief for those they are caring for. This rest or relief can come about through the provision of one or more types of respite. Respite services for carers of a mental illness may include:

• In-home respite: respite support provided in a person’s home
• Centre-based respite: support for a carer at a respite centre
• Cottage-based respite: where there is a short-term over night in respite care or
• Organised holidays, activities, events, leisure or recreational opportunities.

There are four organisations that provide respite for people who care for someone with a mental health issue in the Nepean Blue Mountains Region including:

• Anglicare 1800 052 222
• CareWest (Lithgow) 1300 227 393
• Flourish Australia (02) 9393 9210
• Parramatta Mission (02) 4722 6971