Brandon outlined that carers are people who provide care for another. Generally this would include adults caring for parents, relatives or siblings, but can also include children caring for adults or siblings, and parents caring for children. Carers can be any age, Brandon had examples of people aged between 6 and 96.
Caring may include:
- Having an emotional burden of worry about the person being cared for
- Needing to physically assist the person with their mobility
- Spending time on caring activities, shopping (etc.)
- Having relevant knowledge, medical and other, knowing medications, procedures (etc.)
- Organising and attending medical/professional/health appointments (etc.)
- Being and advocate for the person - assessments, health plans (etc.)
Carers can often find caring for another stressful, and many feel unable to cope. Often there are role reversals, and family relationships can breakdown. Sometimes children feel isolated or are bullied.
When seeking help there are also pressures on the healthcare system meaning that help may be delayed, restricted or not available. Sometimes the person needs to end up sooner in residential care.
Being a carer can be lonely and isolating. New carers are often daunted or overwhelmed by the responsibility of providing the care. Carers also have to balance their own health, with some being exhausted, suffering from injuries or having their own health problems.
With support, these burdens on the carer can be reduced. The carers trust aim to provide support to help carers. This includes:
- Emotional support - a listening ear
- Befriending - linking carers with others
- Carers assessments - helping to get access to support
- Support group access and face to face support
- Events and activities to give a break from caring
- Providing information and advice
- Training and workshops
- Advice on future and contingency planning
- Young carers clubs
Brandon said that there are often tears the first time a carer visits as it is the first time they are being asked how they are.
Link to Carers trust website: https://carers.org/ where you can find out more information.
The relevant legislation if you are in England is the Care Act 2014, with other legislation in other parts of the UK. (https://www.carersuk.org/help-and-advice/practical-support/getting-care-and-support/care-act-faq). Under the Act carers can ask for an assessment of their needs which runs in parallel with an assessment of the needs of the person being cared for. Decisions on planning about care should take the carers wellbeing into account.
Brandon offered two stats - the care provided by friends and family was worth £119 billion in 2011, and the 6.8million people who provide unpaid care saved the state £132 billion in 2015.
No comments:
Post a Comment