Carers Advice
Penwortham Carers Group
Established in October 2015 by St Fillans Medical Centre. The group meet monthly on the first Friday of a month between 11am - 1pm. Friendships have been made and helpful advice and support given with the help of Lancashire Wellbeing Services. If you are a Carer or have been a Carer, come along for an informal chat over coffee and biscuits. We are a friendly, small group and welcome new members. For more information contact the surgery.
The Carers Hub Lancashire
The Carer's Hub supports often hard pressed carers to reduce the impact of their caring role through providing information along with one to one and group support including:
Peace of Mind for Carers contingency plan - offer to support you to create a contingency care and support plan which can be activated and provided to the person you care for in the event you are unable to carry out your caring role in an emergency.
Access to our Sitting in Service where a volunteer is matched with the person you care for to provide you with a short break from your caring role.
Regular coffee and chat meetings with other Carers.
Access to a 24 hour CHAT Line which is manned by Carers that have volunteered to provide a listening ear to other Carers.
Carers Assessment and reviews. We can support you, in accordance with Care Act (2014), to undertake a carers assessment to identify the impact your caring role may be having on your physical and emotional health and wellbeing, whether you are willing and able to continue in your caring role and, if so, what support is needed for you to do this. We will help you to create a plan of how to put this support in place. We will also assess whether you are eligible for a carers personal budget to spend against your plan.
For more information please visit our website http://ncompassnorthwest.co.uk/services/carers-support/carers-hub-lancashire or call us on 0345 688 7113.
Carers UK
They’re here to make sure that no matter how complicated your query or your experience, you don’t have to care alone.
Telephone: 020 7378 4999
Website: www.carersuk.org
Contact Carers Direct
Telephone: 0808 802 0202
Helpline Information: http://www.nhs.uk/carersdirect/carerslives/updates/pages/carersdirecthelpline.aspx
Email: CarersDirect@nhschoices.nhs.uk
Office Hours: Lines are open 8am to 9pm Monday to Friday, 11am to 4pm at weekends. Calls are free from UK landlines.
Online Enquiry Form: http://www.carersdirectenquiry.nhs.uk/
Links
Carers Week website:- http://www.carersweek.org/
National Carers Association website:- www.nationalcareassociation.org.uk
Other useful information for Carers
There is a wealth of information on NHS Choices 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?
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 person you care for
Advice and information on helping the person you look after get the benefits that they are entitled to
- Death and benefits
How your benefits maybe affected after the death of the person you look after and what happens to their benefits
- Managing someone's legal affairs
Advice for when carers find they have to take over the legal affairs of the person they are looking after
- 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
- Personal and household finance
Advice on keeping a tight rein on household and personal finance for carers
- Social fund
- Tax credits
Information on claiming tax credits and whether you might be eligible