Who is considered a carer?
A carer is anyone, including children and adults who looks after a family member, partner or friend who needs help because of their illness, frailty, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction and cannot cope without their support. The care they give is unpaid. When we refer to carers in this document, this is inclusive of both adult and young carers.
Many carers don’t see themselves as carers and it takes them an average of two years to acknowledge their role as a carer (NHS website: Understanding Carers).
It can be difficult for carers to see their caring role as separate from the relationship they have with the person for whom they care, whether that relationship is as a parent, child, sibling, partner, or a friend.
It’s likely that every one of us will have caring responsibilities at some time in our lives with the challenges faced by carers taking many forms. Many carers juggle their caring responsibilities with work, study and other family commitments. Some, in particular younger carers, are not known to be carers. They don’t tell relatives, friends or health and care professionals about their responsibilities because of a fear of separation, guilt, pride or other reasons.
This means that the sort of roles and responsibilities that carers have to provide varies widely. They can range from help with everyday tasks such as getting out of bed and personal care such as bathing, to emotional support such as helping someone cope with the symptoms of a mental illness.
This means that the sort of roles and responsibilities that carers have to provide varies widely. They can range from help with everyday tasks such as getting out of bed and personal care such as bathing, to emotional support such as helping someone cope with the symptoms of a mental illness.
As a carer, your main duties and responsibilities may include:
- Providing personal care, such as showering, shaving, oral hygiene and dressing.
- Administering medication.
- Monitoring health and wellbeing.
- Maintaining records and reporting any changes.
- Assisting with meal preparation and household tasks.
- Providing emotional support and companionship.
- Helping with basic chores around the home, shopping for groceries and preparing meals.
- Helping with ablutions and toileting.
The Carer’s Trust Triangle of Care
A resource for Carers and the organisations that work with them.
The Triangle of Care was created to improve engagement between the carer and health professionals for the benefit of the patient. It aims to ensure appropriate carer inclusion – “Carers Included” – throughout the patient’s care journey.
To read more click please here:
triangle-of-care-a-resource-for-carers-and-carer-support-organisations.pdf