Pages 79-85 in the full Wise
Guide book
Download this chapter, or
order a full copy of the Wise
Guide
You might not think of yourself as a carer. But if
you look after your spouse, partner, family member or friend -
whether they live with you or not - you have a right to extra
help.
There are six million
UK carers - a third of them over 65.
So you are not alone. Carers save the economy £87
billion a year by looking after people who would otherwise have to
go into hospital or a care home. Looking after someone is lonely
and exhausting. So it is important to look after yourself or,
sooner or later, , you may not be able to continue your caring
duties. Eat well, try to take daily exercise, and get enough
sleep.
Support and help for
carers
The person you're looking after has the right to
a community care needs assessment from social services (see chapter 10). People like you
who give them substantial and regular help have
the right to a carer's assessment. You can get this
before you start caring, while you are caring, and
whether or not the person you look after gets social services'
help.
How to arrange a carer's assessment for
yourself
Contact social services. Think about what you do
for the person, and what human help, equipment or arrangements
would make life easier. For example:
- having a shower or bath hoist so you don't have to lift the
person in and out of the bath
- a home help so you don't have to spend so much time changing
beds and cleaning
- a carer so you can go out on your own
- a break so you can catch up with friends, interests or
sleep
- an emergency care plan for peace of mind should anything happen
to you.
Carers UK has a useful booklet, How do I get help? which explains
carers' assessments in detail (0845 241 0963, carersuk.org).
What happens after they assess you
Social services should give you a 'care plan'
explaining the services, aids and equipment they can offer. They
should also carry out a financial assessment to work out what you
can claim free, and what you have to pay for. The council provides
some services directly; they sub-contract others to private or
charitable organisations. They may also offer you a personal
budget or direct
payments - see chapter 10 - which will
allow you to buy in services - like respite care - yourself.
Where to meet other carers
Carers UK,
and the Carers Trust are
organisations set up to support carers. They offer information,
advice, and practical support to carers. They may also run
carers' groups which give you a chance to meet people in the same
situation. The Alzheimer's
Society, the Stroke
Association and Arthritis Care also
support carers of people with a specific condition or illness.They
have sister organisations in Scotland, Wales and Northern
Ireland.
Carers UK campaigns for more rights and better
support for carers and offers advice and support on all aspects of
caring. They have an online forum on their website (0808 808 7777,
carersuk.org).
How to arrange time off from caring
Social services may offer you respite care as part
of your care plan. It could be:
- a day centre for one or more days a week
- domiciliary care, which means someone comes to your home to
look after the person you care for while you have a break
- a longer period of care in a care or nursing home so that you
can have a holiday
Social services may pay some or all of the cost,
depending on your savings and income. If the person you look after
needs nursing care, the NHS should pay towards it.
You have a right to
help with the costs of caring
But the benefits system is complicated. Phone the
Carers UK Advice Line on 0808 808 7777 and ask for a 'benefit
check'. Once you are sure it's in your best interests and that of
the person you care for to apply for Carer's Allowance, phone the
Benefit Enquiry Line on 0800 88 22 00 and ask for a Carer's
Allowance form. Make sure the person you look after claims
Attendance Allowance or Disability Living Allowance (middle or
higher rate of the care component) before you apply.
Make it clear you are caring for the person at
least 35 hours a week, and don't forget care at night. If
your state pension is over a certain amount, a letter will come
back saying you can't claim Carer's Allowance because you get a
state pension. It will then say you have underlying entitlement to
Carer's Allowance (known as Carer Premium). Make copies of this
document and send one to the Pension Service and one to your
council's housing benefit department. Tell them you're applying for
the Carer Premium.
Make sure that the person you are looking after
claims Attendance
Allowance (details in chapter 1) which can be spent on anything they
need. It is one of the only benefits where savings and
income don't matter.
Download this chapter, or
order a full copy of the Wise
Guide
