Are You a Carer?
If you are please let us know – we may be able to help you
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 Assement: 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
- Send an email
- Office Hours: Lines are open 8am to 9pm Monday to Friday, 11am to 4pm at weekends. Calls are free from UK landlines.
Lets talk about Carers…
Did you know…
- There are 6.5 million unpaid carers in the UK
- 85% of carers are not identified or supported
- 1:7 foodbank users declares as a carer
Have you heard of Bridget? Because if not, you could be missing out!
Bridgit Care is an app designed for Carers. The idea being ‘We care for you so you can care for them’. The online platform has been commissioned by Dorset Council to help identify and support carers. It is free of charge to Carers and contains over 60 self-help modules and a self-assessment through which you can create a confidential plan for yourselves, editable at any time. It also has the capability to send a code to their GP practice identifying you as a Carer – something we are very excited about. DC (Digital Champions) are available and embedded within the programme to support less IT competent carers with access- so please just ask and we will do all we can to support you!
Are you looking after someone?
A carer is someone who provides unpaid support to family or friends who could not manage without help. This could be due to illness, mental ill-health, disability, or a substance misuse problem.
A carer can be any age and you can become a carer without being aware of it. Carers are family members, friends or neighbours who, sometimes suddenly, sometimes gradually, find themselves offering support and simply get on with what needs to be done.
