Help for carers

Introduction

Are you providing help and support to someone who could not manage without your help and not getting paid for this help? Then you are a carer.

You might be caring for a partner, child, relative, friend or neighbour because of their age, physical or mental illness, addiction or disability. You may be an adult, a child or a young person.

Help for carers

Before you contact us it may be useful to look at some other information on this website about different ways to get help and advice. Care and support options web pages.

After an assessment carers may get:

• Advice and information
• Home Care - providing help with personal care and day-to-day living for the person you're caring for. More about home care.
• Equipment - to help you to care.  This might be telecare, for example ways for the person you care for to call for help when you are not there, or flood or smoke detectors which alert someone else if they are activated.  Or it could be aids and adaptations to help people get around and cope better at home. More about equipment.
• Respite care - when someone else takes on the caring for a short time. This could include sitting services that provide carers with free time or time to for other interests and activities. More about respite care.

There is more information about these and other types of help for carers in the council's carers leaflet.

Carer's emergency card

If a carer is taken ill or in an accident the card helps make sure the person they care for isn't forgotten. Cards are free to carers.
To get a card please go to the Carers Emergency Card page.

Training - safe ways to move and lift

We can train you how to help someone to move. This will help you to avoid hurting yourself. It is useful training for if you are looking after someone who needs help getting into and out of bed, or on and off a chair. The training is done in your house. For more information, please contact the Moving and Handling Coordinator telephone: 0117 353 2494.

Caring for someone with mental health problems

Read our guide for carers of people with mental health problems.

Assessments - finding out if you can get help

• Carers have a right to an assessment if they are caring for someone who can get adult care services. An assessment finds out about a carers needs and if any help can be provided to meet them.
• Contact our Care Direct service about an assessment
• For more information about assessments, read the council's carers leaflet.
• You can do your own carer's self-assessment on-line.

Self assessment - helping carers find out if they can get help

• If you wish you can complete a form telling us about your needs as a carer.
• This is called self assessment.
• If you would like to get some independent advice or support with self assessment contact the Carers' Support Centre Bristol & South Gloucestershire:
  Tel 0117 939 2562 
  email: admin@carerssupportcentre.org.uk