Website: Carers Direct
Carers are people who look after a partner, husband or wife, son or daughter, relative or friend with a disability or illness. Many carers live with the person they care for, but many look after someone who lives independently, in supported accommodation, in hospital, or in a residential or nursing home.
Carers can sometimes be family members or friends who look after someone without pay or financial reward. They are sometimes known as 'informal' carers.
Carers may be as young as 7 or 8 years, looking after a disabled parent or other siblings or may themselves be older people , perhaps in their 80's looking after a partner or friend of similar age.
Some care staff or care assistants who are not qualified nursing or social care staff are sometimes referred to as carers also. The main difference is that these are paid carers who are employed to carry out this role.
Anyone looking after a person with an illness or disability, whatever their situation, is considered a carer with equal rights to help, support, information and services.
The information provided in this section may be useful for any individual who is in a caring role.
Carers, Department of Health, 2008
More information is available on Carer organisations and related case studies.
Explains some of the basic facts about dementia, gives ideas on where you can get practical and emotional support, offers advice on how to plan for the future, and provides some tips on caring for people with dementia.
(NHS National Library for Health / Mental Health Foundation, 01 September 2005)
The carers' strategy sets out the Government's short-term agenda and long-term vision for the future care and support of carers
The carers' strategy is underpinned by £255 million to implement some immediate steps alongside with medium and long-term plans.
New commitments in the carers’ strategy include: £150 million towards planned short breaks for carers; £38 million towards supporting carers to enter or re-enter the job market and £6 million towards improving support for young carers. Other schemes include the piloting of annual health checks for carers to help them stay well and training for GPs to recognise and support carers. A more integrated and personalised support service for carers will be offered through easily accessible information, targeted training for key professionals to support carers, and pilots to examine how the NHS can better support carers.
(Department of Health, June 2008)
Here you will find articles, documents, links and other resources to support informal carers. A carer is someone who looks after a relative or friend, who, because of disability or the effects of old age cannot manage at home without help. The web site aims to deliver up to date resources and information on issues relevant to carers and those professionals who assist them in their role.
(Carers Association Southern Staffordshire)
Website for carers and professionals working with carers. This is part of the Care for the Carers of the Terminally Ill project.
(Help the Hospices)
This guide focuses on services for carers of those who are terminally ill. It describes a number of existing services ranging from small to large, simple to complex, and new to well-established. It highlights points to be addressed when setting up a new service, and lists some useful resources at both local and national level. Hopefully readers will find inspiration, as well as information, and go on to design imaginative and effective services.
(Help the Hospices, 2006 [File:429KB])
Information and support for people who look after someone who has been diagnosed with a life-limiting disease. This booklet is intended to help new carers recognise that they are carers, to give reassurance that many of the feelings they will have about their new extra role are what most people in their situation have felt at some time, and to give them the opportunity to see what specific advice they can get from the rest of the booklets.
(Help the Hospices, March 2008)
Caring in Later Life - Reviewing the role of older carers
This review, commissioned by Help the Aged, with support from Carers UK, brings together existing evidence and supplements it with fresh analysis of the General Household Survey 1995, to draw out the particular needs of carers over the age of 60. The picture of older carers that emerges from this study is significantly different from that of carers overall.
(Help the Aged, 2003)
The Caring with Confidence website is part of the Government's 'New Deal for Carers' - an initiative aimed at improving support for carers.
If you are looking after a friend or relative, Caring with Confidence can help you to make a positive difference to your life and that of the person you look after.
(Caring with confidence)
This report analyses the characteristics of people who provide unpaid care to family and friends, and characteristics associated with becoming a caregiver. It also looks at trends in the movement of older people into nursing or residential homes or ‘supported’ private households
(Joseph Rowntree Foundation, October 2006)
A comprehensive guide on how to consult with carers.
(The Princess Royal Trust for Carers, 2002)
A Crossroads service is about giving time - improving the lives of carers by giving them time to be themselves and have a break from their caring responsibilities. Our aim is to provide a reliable service, tailored to meet the individual needs of each carer and the person they are caring for. We have schemes in most parts of England and Wales, which provide a range of services to meet local needs.
(Crossroads Caring for Carers)
This guide aims to help organisations that provide or commission palliative and end of life care services, their staff and members of the public to strengthen involvement in palliative and end of life care and meet the national and local imperatives around patient and public involvement.
(National Council for Palliative Care and the NHS Centre for Involvement , 21 July 2009)
This booklet provides guidance for family, friends and unpaid carers when doctors or health and social care professionals are thinking about changing the way a family member, friend or someone you provide care for in which your family member or friend will be and the care plan will deprive your family member or friend of their liberty.
(Department of Health, 6 March 2009)
The Princess Royal Trust for Carers is the largest provider of comprehensive carers support services in the UK. Through its unique network of 144 independently managed Carers' Centres , 85 young carers services and interactive websites, www.carers.org and www.youngcarers.net. The Trust currently provides quality information, advice and support services to almost 354,000 carers, including over 20,000 young carers.
(Princess Royal Trust for Carers )
A guide to offering care and support to people with a learning disability at the end of life.
(NHS North East, 2007)
This Good Practice Guide was jointly developed by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) and the Princess Royal Trust for Carers. This self-assessment toolkit is designed so that Primary Care Teams can measure themselves against agreed criteria for the services they provide for patients and their carers, particularly focusing on teamwork and practice organisation.
(Royal College of General Practitioners, 22 October 2008)
