Unpaid carers
Carers come from all walks of life, cultures, and age groups – anyone can become a carer.
If you are someone who regularly provides unpaid support to a family member or friend with daily living or personal care – whether they are ill, frail, disabled, or experiencing poor mental health – you are a carer.
Carers podcast
It’s important for unpaid carers to see themselves as carers so their efforts are recognised and they receive their rights under the Care Act. It's a priority area of work for the Derbyshire Safeguarding Adults Board (DSB) to prevent safeguarding concerns by making sure carers and the people they support know how to get help and advice to stay safe and well.
In the DSAB carers podcast Tom Brown speaks with Bev and Lisa about their experiences as unpaid carers. He also chats with Jude Boyle, Carers Lead at Derbyshire County Council and Helen Weston, Interim CEO from Derbyshire Carers Association, to explore the support available for carers.
Carers in Derbyshire
The Carers in Derbyshire content was developed through a partnership between experienced family carers, health professionals, voluntary organisations and Derbyshire County Council Adult Care – bringing together real-life insight and expert support to make a difference.
Carers in Derbyshire aims to give unpaid carers who live in Derbyshire reliable, up-to-date information and advice about topics including:
- support ‘offer for carers’
- carers assessments and eligibility
- advice on planning for an emergency
- carers rights
- planning days out as a carer
Derbyshire Carers Association
Derbyshire Carers Association (DCA) support carers who look after a family member, partner, or firend who needs help because of their illness, frailty, disability, mental ill health or an addiction. The care these people give is unpaid.
Carers in Derbyshire – regardless of how long they've been caring and or who they care for – are encouraged to register with Derbyshire Carers Association (DCA). Registering helps put support in place early to reduce breakdown and ensures carers feel informed, connected and empowered.
You can contact DCA, telephone: 01773 833833 or by email info@derbyshirecarers.co.uk.
Skills for carers
Ensuring carers have the skills and knowledge to provide good care can reduce the risk of abuse and the stress and pressure carers experience. Feeling well-informed can make carers feel more confident and more effectively manage potentially challenging behaviour.
The NHS website has a health A to Z guide about conditions, symptoms and treatments, including what to do and when to get help, as well as a medicines A to Z guide about how medicines work, how and when to take them and possible side effects.
Information and advice
Many older people aged 50 and over, and their carers, live with issues that can be resolved or improved. Age UK has information and advice about welfare benefits, housing options, aids and adaptations, keeping homes maintained and warm, managing money and paying for care and support, and planning for the future, which can all help older people live well and be less vulnerable to abuse.
Age UK works closely with other charities and services so that their information and advice service can act as a gateway to other services such as Derbyshire Carers Association. For free, independent and expert advice, telephone: 01773 766922, or access the Age UK free factsheets and guides online.
Loneliness and isolation
Loneliness is as big a killer as smoking fifteen cigarettes per day. Reduced social interaction and contact with others can make older people more dependent on their abuser or increase the demands and therefore put stress on carers.
In Derbyshire, there are special groups known as infrastructure organisations. Think of them as helper centres for community groups and charities. These centres are sometimes called CVSs (Council for Voluntary Services), Community Action, or volunteer centres. They support local charities, community groups, and social enterprises by offering guidance, support, and resources.
Age UK Derby and Derbyshire can also help with information about different ways of reducing loneliness and isolation, telephone: 01773 766922. The national Age UK website has a section dedicated to information and advice that can help if you or someone you know is feeling lonely.
The Better Health – Every Mind Matters campaign can help people find out about possible signs of loneliness, reasons why people feel lonely, and ways to manage it. There are also links to more support if you or someone else needs it.
The Campaign to End Loneliness believes that people of all ages need connections that matter. Their vision is that everyone can live a life free from chronic loneliness.
Mind offers helpful information about loneliness – what causes it, how it connects to mental health, and practical tips to cope. You’ll also find guidance on where to get extra support if you or someone else needs it.
The Mental Health Foundation breaks down what loneliness is, who can experience it, how to cope, and how to support someone else who is feeling lonely.
Derbyshire County Council has gathered information and resources about tackling loneliness.
As part of their England Loneliness Project, the British Deaf Association (BDA) commissioned 3 British Sign Language (BSL) translated videos about loneliness covering definitions of loneliness, how to cope with loneliness, and top ten tips to reduce loneliness. These videos may help you understand loneliness and how to cope if you are feeling lonely.
Falls prevention
Falls are the most common cause of sudden increases in care needs and admittance to long-term care. Reduced mobility and the fear of falling can lead to increased care demands, and vulnerability to physical violence.
There are a number of services available in Derbyshire to help protect you from falling, or reduce the chance of falling.
Falling over isn’t an inevitable part of aging, and many falls are preventable. Joined Up Care Derbyshire has resources and services that can help reduce the likelihood of having a fall.
Find out from Derby and Derbyshire Age UK about falls prevention classes around Derbyshire.
Footcare
Providing personal care, and especially ‘marmite’ care tasks such as footcare, which many people find repulsive, can increase carer stress.
Foot pain can increase symptoms such as irritability, reluctance to mobilise and anxiety. Age UK Derby and Derbyshire and the NHS in Derbyshire are working together to offer an affordable, long-term footcare solution for people aged fifty and over. For more details, please telephone: 01773 766922.
If you have a problem that is affecting your foot health, you may be able to refer yourself for an assessment with the Community Podiatry Service.
Taking a break
Respite for carers is essential to relieve the pressure of the responsibility of caring. Even long-distance carers report experiencing an impact on their mental health and wellbeing.
Respite can be achieved using some creative thinking. For example, carers can resume or maintain a hobby or activity supported by some telecare devices. Older people can attend a day centre or activity group giving their carer some time off. Carer and cared for can attend an activity together such as a lunch club or falls prevention class. Grant funds or savings can pay for a short-break or equipment that reduces the impact of a routine task such as washing.
Incontinence
Incontinence can be one of the biggest triggers for admission to care settings and carers often describe it as the last straw. Incontinence can increase the caring role and intimate care with its associated risks of abusive behaviour, as well as increasing laundry and household tasks, decrease attendance at social activities, leading to increased costs for incontinence equipment.
The NHS has information and sources of support about urinary incontinence.
Dementia support in Derbyshire
The Alzheimer’s Society provides dementia support services in Derbyshire to deliver information, care navigation, advice and support, along with group activities, for people affected by dementia.
The Joined Up Care Derbyshire Dementia Partnership is working to try and improve the care, treatment and daily living of people with, and affected by dementia.
The Living Well Programme is offered to all people with a recent diagnosis of dementia and who are in the early stages of the condition.
Derbyshire County Council has gathered information and resources about reducing the risk of dementia, living with the condition, as well as caring for someone with dementia.
Carers Speak video
To mark Carers Rights Day in November 2019, Carers in Derbyshire spoke to local carers asking them about their caring roles, the support they received – good and bad – from health and social care staff, and how they manage their own wellbeing. They were also asked what matters to them most. A video has been produced with the responses. Watch the Carers Speak video.