CARERS
DISH Home
Who is a Carer? Facts about Carers What is the role of a Carer? A Carers own needs Emergency Help Carers
Assessments Carers Breaks Carers Services Carers and
Health Services Support
Organisations for Carers Benefits for Carers
Who is a Carer?
Many Carers
do not recognise
themselves as Carers. A Carer
is a person, probably a relative, perhaps just a good friend or neighbour who provides care, help and support
for an adult
or a child with a disability, long-term illness, learning difficulty or
mental
health problem. The care they provide is unpaid. They may have been
caring for
some time, or have started caring more recently. They may care out of
love,
friendship or duty. It may not always be easy emotionally or
physically, and Carers may well have needs
of their own.
Facts about Carers
What is the role of a Carer?
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The level of
care and support Carers give may vary over
time. It
is likely the care Carers provide enables
another
person to live as independent a life as possible. It might include:
A Carers own needs
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It is
essential that Carers look after their own
health and
wellbeing. Carers are vulnerable to poor
health and
stress related illnesses. Regular breaks from caring are often
necessary in
order for the Carer to re-charge their
batteries
Carers
can often find themselves isolated. It is important that Carers
try to maintain and cultivate social activities outside of the home.
There are
services provided locally such as “Crossroads Caring for Carers” that would provide alternative care to
enable
the Carer to take a break away from their
caring
responsibilities. There are many local support groups for Carers,
and Carers can reduce the isolation they
feel by
sharing their experiences and talking to others in similar situations.
Training
courses are available to carers in such
areas as
Moving and Handling, Reducing Stress and Basic First Aid. Your District
Nurse,
Social Worker or local Carers’ Support
Project
can give you advice and information about available training courses.
Carers
often express fears about what to do if there is an accident or someone
falls.
The advice from the ambulance service is to dial 999 for help.
Do not attempt
to move the person, as they need to be assessed for injury.
If you are ill
yourself and need additional help during the day you can contact the
County
Council duty worker at your local area team office, or your
G.P.
For assistance
outside office hours contact the emergency duty team
(
01733
234724)
Carers’ Emergency
Card
Carers
can obtain an Carers
Emergency Card to alert people to the fact they are Carers
and that someone is relying on them for their care if the Carer
has an accident or is taken ill. Cards are available from:
Carers’
Assessments
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Since 1996 Carers have a right to an assessment of their
own needs,
and these rights were enhanced by the Carers
and
Disabled Childrens’ Act 2001. A Carer can now ask for an assessment at any time,
even if
the person they care refuses an assessment or services themselves. The
law
states that Carers are eligible for a Carers Assessment if they provide regular and
substantial
amounts of care and the person they care for is someone for whom the
County
Council may provide care. If the cared for person is a child then the
needs of
the Carer will be considered as part of an
Assessment
of Needs of the child and family.
A Carers
Assessment is an opportunity to:
The assessment
will also help to consider the needs of the person who is cared for. It
is not a
test, and Carers can decide which parts of
the
assessment they wish to discuss.
Carers
Breaks
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Everyone needs
a change occasionally, and to have time for themselves, whether this is
for an
hour, a day or a week. This is especially so for Carers,
particularly if the person they care for cannot be left alone.
Breaks from
caring
There are many
ways in which a break can be arranged or provided:
Carers
Services Back
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Since
April 2001 Carers
of adults who have been assessed, may be provided with services
themselves.
This service will help meet the Carers
needs that
have been identified in the Carers
Assessment. The
service should help to protect the health of the Carer
and support the Carer in their caring
role. The
provision of Carers Services will be
discussed with
the Care Manager, Social Worker or Care Co-ordinator
once the Carers Assessment is completed.
Services for the cared-for
person
Services
may also be provided to the cared for
person to enable the carer to have a break
and/or to
the support the carer in their caring
role. For
example:
The type
of care needed for the cared-for
person will be discussed with the assessor and should fit in with the
lifestyle
of the Carer and cared-for person, and
give them
flexibility and choice.
Carers
can request a Carers Assessment by
contacting their
local County Council Team, or Mental Health Trust, or by speaking to
the Social
Worker, Care Co-ordinator or Manager
working with the
person they care for.
For
further information on Carers
Assessments contact the Carers Support Project on 01480
420617.
Carers and
Health
Services
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GP Surgeries
should clearly mark Carers’ medical notes
to
show they are a Carer. This will enable
the surgery
to identify Carers and target support and
resources.
If the surgery is aware of the Carers’
circumstances, it ensures that the Carers’health
needs are also looked after. Surgeries may be able to offer training on
moving
and handling techniques to Carers or counselling ifCarers
arestressed and finding it difficult to
cope. Surgeries may
be able to offer priority appointments so that long difficult waits do
not
occur. They may be able to provide home visits if
the person
cared for is housebound. Some surgeries also have their own Carer support groups. Carers
should ask their GP surgery for details.
GPs may be
able to arrange for the local pharmacist to receive repeat
prescriptions
directly without the Carer needing to take
them into
the surgery. The pharmacist may also be able to arrange for the
medication to
be delivered to the Carer’s home.
Some dentists, chiropodists and other health care workers also make home visits. Carers should contact their Primary Care Trust who will provide a list of those health workers who make home visits.
Good sources
of information on health or medical matters are:
Hunts PCT
01480 308222
NHS direct
0845 46 47
Support Organisations for Carers
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Carers Support Project
Maple Centre
PE29 7HN
(
01480
420617 )
The Project
Worker helps Carers receive relevant and
up to date
information concerning services and benefits to support them in their
caring
role. The project provides a Carers
Carers Consortium
The Consortium
is a partnership of Carers, Carer’s
organisations, Voluntary Organisations,
Health and County Council representatives. It is a forum where Carers’ issues are focussed
on and ensures that Carers’ concerns are
taken
into account when services are provided and planned. It aims to listen
to Carers to find ways of providing
services and facilities
that meet the needs of Carers and to raise
awareness
of Carers’ issues in the wider society.
The
Consortium is co-ordinated by the Carers’
Support Project.
Carers
Maple Centre
Cambs PE29 7HN
(
01480
420615 )
The Hunts
branch offers information, befriending, social events, support groups,
newsletters, emergency card
Carers
32-36 Loman
Street
Southwark
London SE1 0EE
( Carers
Line 0808 808 7777) Wed and Thurs only 10-12,
2-4
Disability
Papworth Everard
Cambs CB23
3UY
( 01480 830833
Email: info@dish.org.uk
www.dish.org.uk
DISH
provide a wide range of
information on disability and carers’
issues. A specialist welfare benefits service is available by
appointment for
welfare benefit assessment and help completing forms. In addition, a
Family
Advisor is employed to provide advice to parents of children with
disabilities
on education, social service assessment and welfare benefits.
Hunts
Parent Carer Forum
Margeret
Lambton
c/o Hunts
Forum
6, Maple
Centre
Oak Drive
Cambs PE29 7HN
01480 420 618
Email: huntsparentcarerforum@hotmail.com
The Forum provide networking opportunities, information,
support and
training for parents of children with disabilities or special needs.
Peterborough
& Fenland Carers’
Centre
3 Lincoln Road
Peterborough
PE1 2RP
01733
342683
Web
(Peterborough Council for Volunteer Service): www.pcvs.co.uk
The Carers’
Centre provides a number of services. Drop in
for support, advocacy and information packs, sitting service and a
regular
coffee morning for current and ex-carers of
any age.
Transport is available to bring people to the centre.
Age
Concern
Oak House
28 New Street
St Neots
(
01480
218643 )
Age Concern
employ a Carers’ Support Worker who is
able to
provide one to one support, Carer support
groups,
befriending, advocacy, benefits advice, information, advice and social
activities, emergency card to Carers of
people over
the age of 55, and Carers who are over 55
years old
themselves. No support groups available at the moment.
Alzheimer’s
Society
Nursery Road
(
01480
415235
The
Alzheimer’s Society employ a Carers’
Support Worker who is able to provide: one to one support, Carers’
support groups, social activities, advocacy, information and advice,
courses
and training, emergency card to Carers of
people with
dementia. Two carer
support workers
at the moment. Groups of people meet and go for pub lunches etc.
8, The
Meadow
Meadow Lane
St. Ives
CAMBS PE27 4LG
Tel. 0845 241
0954
Crossroads
provide a trained Care Worker to enable the main Carer
to have a break.
Turning
Point Carers Support Service
Tel. 01480 356971 or Carers’ Line 08456 017 881 (local rate)
Website: www.turning-point.co.uk
Provides
one to one support, advocacy, information and advice to carers of adults with mental health problems. Outreach service for clients with
severe mental illnesses. Also deals with
solvent abuse and addictions.
The
Stroke Association
Stroke Information
Service, The Stroke Association, 240 City Road, London EC1V 2PR
National
Web www.stroke.org.uk Email info@stroke.org.uk
Contact: Mr R Lamb 01480 451227
The Stroke
Association employ a family support organiser for information and support.
Benefits for
Carers Back to Top
Carer’s may entitled to Carer’s
Allowance if
they are caring for someone for at least 35 hours per week and fulfil the other criteria. In addition, they may
be
eligible for an additional amount on their pension credit if are over
60. Carer’s are also eligible for a Class
1 national
insurance contribution credit whilst they are entitled to Carer’s
Allowance. Carers should also receive a
£10