Do you look after someone who could not manage without you?
Carers often put the health of the person they care for before their own. To be able to care for others, you must care for yourself! You do not need to be claiming or receiving Carer’s Allowance to be considered a “carer”.
Some of the many benefits of having the health check are:
- re-assurance for you, and person you care for
- an opportunity to pick up on any early signs of ill health
time for you to think about yourself and your own health
a chance to access any necessary advice or treatment at an early stage, possibly avoiding more serious problems in future
Completely free of charge
Money available to cover care while you have your check
Confidential
Devon Carers is the service in Devon for all carers and is funded by the NHS to provide information, support and short breaks to carers. Anyone who looks after someone is entitled to access their services and carers do not have to undertake any assessments or eligibility checks in order to access their help. There are a wide range of free and confidential services available and it’s the carer’s choice to access whichever services they feel would be beneficial.
Please call 03456 434435 to speak to someone or alternatively visit devoncarers.org.uk
Did you know?
- In Devon there are around 84,000 carers providing unpaid care for relatives and friends.
- Over a million carers, care for 50+ hours per week.
- 1 in 8 adults (around six million people) are carers.
- By 2037, it's anticipated that the number of carers will increase to 9 million.
- Every day another 6,000 people take on a caring responsibility - that equals over 2 million people each year.
- There are 175,000 young people over the age of 18 who provide care for people. 13,000 of these provide care for 50 hours or more per week.
- 58% of carers are women and 42% are men.
- 1 in 5 of carers providing substantial care are not in good health compared to 1 in 10 of those who are not carers.
- People providing high levels of care are twice as likely to be permanently sick or disabled.
- 625,000 people suffer mental and physical ill health as a direct consequence of the stress and physical demands of caring.
- 52% of carers providing substantial care had been treated for a stress-related disorder.
Click the link to view the Devon Carers Factsheet
AFTER CARING - ENABLING CARERS TO LOOK AHEAD
Offering support for carers aged 50+ who are facing the end of their caring role.
This is a free service providing information, bereavement support, signposting and mentoring.
Call 01237 420134 or email aftercaring@torridgecvs.org.uk
http://www.aftercaring.org.uk/
Useful Links
Devon Carers Link http://www.devoncarerslink.org/links
Devon Virtual Carers http://www.devoncarerscentre.org.uk/
Devon Young Carers http://www.devonyoungcarers.org.uk/
NHS Home https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/social-care-and-support-guide/support-and-benefits-for-carers/
NHS Website
There is a wealth of information on NHS website about carers and caring. Below are some links into the site that we hope you will find useful.
- Caring for a parent
Watch this video on: caring for a parent at home
- Telling people
Caring responsibilities can make it difficult to maintain friendships or develop new ones. Telling your friends you're a carer is important so they understand and can support you.
- Taking a break
Caring for someone can be a full-time job, but it's essential that you take time out for yourself too. Read our guide to accessing breaks and respite.
- Housing and carers
Do you know your tenancy rights as a carer? Are you aware of all your care at home options? Do you need tips on moving someone around the home?
Carers support groups Finance and Law
Help claiming benefits, looking after your bank balance and understanding the legal issues of caring.