Carers

If you would like to be registered with us as a carer, or a patient with a carer, please let the reception team know or complete a referral form.

Information and Advice for Carer’s

Are You A Carer?

Do you look after someone who is ill, frail, disabled or mentally ill?

Your rights as a carer.

Support with caring
Having a break
Looking after yourself
Caring for someone with Dementia
Help at home
Adapting your home

We are interested in identifying carer’s, especially those people who may be caring without help or support. We know that carer’s are often “hidden” looking after a family member or helping a friend or neighbour with day to day tasks and may not see themselves as a carer.

Caring for someone is an important and valuable role in the community, which is often a 24-hour job that can be very demanding and isolating for the carer. Carers should receive appropriate support by way of access to accurate information on a range of topics such as entitlement to benefits and respite care and not least, a listening ear when things get too much.

As a carer, you are entitled to have your needs assessed by Adult Care Services. A Carer’s Assessment is a chance to talk about your needs as a Carer and the possible ways help could be given. It also looks at the needs of the person you care for. There is no charge for an assessment.

If you are a carer, please ask at Reception for a Carers Identification Form which you can complete to let us know about your caring responsibilities

If you are a carer, this is an opportunity to let the practice know so that we can update our records and provide you with the relevant information and advice that maybe needed to support you.

If you look after your partner, or a relative or a friend who is ill or disabled, you are a carer, even if you do not think of yourself that way.

There are many ways that you may care for someone. For instance you might:

Be on hand 24hrs a day to provide care
Arrange hospital appointments for someone
Drop round each day to keep someone company or cook their dinner.

Whether you’ve cared for the person for a long time, are temporarily helping them, or have just become a carer, take time to review your options and find out what support is available to you.

Definition of a Carer

Individuals, irrespective of age, who provide or supervise a substantial amount of care on a regular basis of a child, relative, partner or neighbour who is unable to manage on their own due to illness, disability, frailty, mental distress or impairment.

The term “carer” would not normally apply if the person is:

A paid carer
A volunteer for a voluntary agency
Anyone providing personal assistance for payment either in cash or kind

A Carer can be a child looking after an older person or parent, or an older person looking after a disabled partner. The definition may be quite wide-ranging.

The person being cared for may, or may not be, registered at the carer’s practice. Where the person being cared for is registered elsewhere the practice will not be able to identify routinely where the relationship has ceased. Periodically, the Carer may be asked to re-confirm his/her status.

Where the person being cared for is a registered patient, the relationship can be affirmed more often.

Listed below are various resources that can provide you with advice/guidance and support: