Counselling encompasses services that provide emotional and psychological support, reduce stress and assist with coping mechanisms. These may be delivered face-to-face, via telephone, email and Skype or in a group.

Education and training provides information and skills to assist the safe and effective delivery of care.

Respite care is short-term care delivered with the intention of allowing carers the opportunity to engage in everyday activities or holidays. It can be provided informally or by formal respite services, can last between a few hours to several weeks and is funded privately or through government programs.

Care coordination is the practice of organising a patient’s care activities to facilitate the appropriate delivery of care. It provides assistance in navigating the various support and services available to carers.

There are four types of technology tools that currently have applications to aged care:
1. Technologies that support older people to stay in their home without continual cares, such as fall detection devices or personal alarm services
2. Tools that give remote access to information and training about caring, such as websites and online training
3. Personal support tools and social integration that provide social, emotional and peer support, such as online social media groups
4. Online tools for coordinating care tasks for from formal care providers to informal carers.

Carer support groups connect carers in physical or online groups to meet other carers and exchange information and experiences. Support groups are provided in formal settings by advocacy organisations or providers of formal care. Increasingly, there is an emergence of organic, online communities on Facebook. Facebook groups such as “Caring for Elderly Parents” and “Caring for Elderly Parents in Australia” appear to offer objectivity, and are highly valued by the participants.

Carer payments provide financial support to assist informal carers to perform their care role. In Australia, payments are made to people below the income and assets threshold that do not engage in a work or education for more than 25 hours per week and provide care in the home for an extended period of time.

The European Association Working for Carers had advocated that informal caring results in the acquisition of valuable skills and competencies. The EAWC suggests awarding formal qualifications to those that have undertaken informal care, in an effort to assist them in achieving financial security.

The Australian Government provides Parental Leave Pay for a maximum period of 18 weeks. Employer paid parental leave is in addition to the government scheme. Legislative requirements mandate employers to provide employees with flexible working arrangements, parental leave entitlements and compassionate leave. These entitlements do not extend to care provided for people in older age.