One in six adults are now providing unpaid care for a family member, friend or neighbour. There are 7 million unpaid carers, including 800,000 young carers.
If you provide unpaid care for a few hours a day or over a 24 hour period of time, then you are a carer.
Caring for someone covers many areas such as: washing, dressing, eating, attending regular appointments, offering emotional and social support.
At Middlewood, we are here to support you and your family through signposting to the relevant carer support services.
If you think you are a carer, please let us know – we may be able to help you. You can do this by completing this form, or letting our reception know in person or by phone. We can then make a note that you are a carer on your health record.
There is a wealth of information on the NHS website about carers and caring. Below are some links into the site that we hope you will find useful.
- A guide to care and support: Information for carers and people who have care & support needs.
- Caring for someone: Advice on providing care, medicines etc.
- Care after hospital: Providing care for people who have been recently discharged from hospital.
- Taking a break: Caring for someone can be a full-time job – find out about accessing breaks and respite care.
- Support and benefits for carers: Caring for someone can be a full-time job – find out about accessing breaks and respite care.
- Work and Disability: Guidance, support and help with employment issues.
- Being a young carer: Advice for carers 18 or under and their entitlement to support
Finance and Law
Help claiming benefits, looking after your bank balance and understanding the legal issues of caring.
- Benefits for carers: Directing carers to the benefits that can help them in their caring role
- Benefits for the under-65s: Advice and information on helping the person you look after get the benefits that they are entitled to.
- Benefits for the over-65s: Advice and information on financial support for older people with a disability or illness.
- Carer’s Assessment: How your benefits maybe affected after the death of the person you look after and what happens to their benefits
- Other benefits: Advice for carers and the people they are looking after on claiming a whole host of other benefits unrelated to their disability or caring
Contact Carers Direct
Telephone: 0808 802 0202
Website: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/social-care-and-support-guide/
Email: CarersDirect@nhschoices.nhs.uk
Office Hours: Lines are open 8:00am to 9:00pm Monday to Friday, 11:00am to 4:00pm at weekends. Calls are free from UK landlines.