The following advice may be useful in enabling you to get the help and support that you need as a carer.
Tell others that you are a carer
The first step to getting help as a carer is to inform others of your situation. There is no national register for carers, but letting healthcare professionals, your employer, and those who are close to you, know about your role as a carer, can give you access to many different forms of support.
If you are a carer you should tell those listed below.
- Your GP - they should ensure that you have regular health checks, receive a flu jab, and may be able to provide flexible appointment times, or home visits.
- Your local social services - who can give you a carer's assessment (see below) to determine the level of help that you need, offer replacement care to give you a break, and provide assisted living aids and equipment.
- Your employer - who is obliged to offer you flexible hours and time off at short notice (see the 'facts' section).
- Your family and friends - do not be afraid to ask for their help if you need it.
Have a carer's assessment
According to the Carers (Recognition and Services) Act 1995, and the Carers & Disabled Children Act 2000, you are entitled to a carer's assessment if you care for someone for 'a substantial amount of time on a regular basis'. You also have the right to an assessment if you planning to care for someone (such as after a hospital stay), or if you are caring for a disabled child.
You are entitled to a carer's assessment even if the person you are caring for does not wish to receive support from social services.
Your assessment will be undertaken by your local social services in order to decide what you need to begin, or to continue, caring. You should be offered an assessment when you inform social services of your role as a carer, or you can ask for one.
Both you and the person you care for will be involved in the assessment, although you are entitled to a private assessment with your social worker if you require it.
Your social worker should look at every aspect of your role as a carer, including the physical problems you might have, as well as the employment, emotional, and social aspects of your life. This can be a lot to think about at once. See the 'useful links' section for more information about carer's assessments and how to prepare for one.
How a carer's assessment can help you
Some of the forms of carer support that your assessment may grant you are listed below. The type of support that you can receive may depend on the services that are available in your local area.
Home care
Home care includes help with general household tasks, such as cooking and shopping. It may be available through social services.
Day care
Day care centres can offer the person you care for an opportunity to take on new hobbies and arrange days out, and they can also provide you with a break from caring. Day care centres are run by social services departments, or voluntary organisations, such as charities.
Assisted living devices
Assisted living devices include gadgets and devices that can make everyday tasks easier for a disabled person and their carer, such as handrails, hoists, and tap turners. In some cases, the person you care for may also be given a grant that they can use to adapt their home to meet their needs.
Direct payments
Direct payments are payments from social services that allow you, and the person you care for, to buy the services that you need, instead of having them provided directly by social services.
After your assessment, your social worker will draw up a care plan outlining which services you can receive and the level of help and support you have been granted. If you are not happy with the result of your assessment, or how it was carried out, you can make a complaint through the Citizen's Advice Bureau (CAB).
Claim your financial benefits
As a carer, you may be entitled to receive financial support in the form of the Carer's Allowance. Some carers are also eligible to receive an extra amount of money called the Carer Premium. See the 'facts' and 'useful links' sections for more information about the Carer's Allowance and the Carer Premium.
Contact your nearest carers group or centre
Carers groups and centres offer information, support, and a way to meet and socialise with other people in your area who are also carers. See the 'useful links' section to find your nearest carers group.
