Carers
Carers play an essential role in people’s lives by helping to provide care to someone who needs it.What is a Carer?
An unpaid carer is anyone looking after a family member, friend or neighbour who needs help because of illness, disability, physical or mental health problems or addiction.
This care is provided without payment and is not part of a formal employment arrangement.
Are you carer?
Below are some of the things that an unpaid carer might do for the cared for person, however, often unpaid carers are carrying out many of these tasks all at once:
- Attend appointments
- Hospital visits
- Provide emotional support
- Housework
- Keeping someone safe
- Medication
- Providing medical care at home, for example, home oxygen therapy or enteral feeding
- Personal care
- Phone calls
- Attending health and social care meetings
- Shopping
Young people may also be carers if they provide (or intend to provide) care for another person and are under the age of 18, or 18 and over but still attending school.
Carers do not have to:
- live with the person they care for
- be the only carer
- be related to the person they care for
What is the Carers Act?
The Carers (Scotland) Act 2016 came into force on 1 April 2018, introducing new legal duties and a range of provisions to help better identify, include, and support carers.
The Act gives all unpaid carers rights to an adult carer support plan (ACSP) or young carer statement (YCS) to identify each unpaid carer’s personal outcomes and needs for support.
The aim is to
- plan ahead
- think of personal outcomes
- have this recorded to share when engaging in health and social services
The Act also states that carers
- have a right to support to meet any ‘eligible needs’
- have a right to be involved in services
- have a right to be involved in the hospital discharge process of the person they are or are going to be caring for
Create an emergency plan
What would happen if you couldn’t be there for the person you care for? Having an emergency plan in place means that if you are unable to fulfil your caring role, such as becoming ill or a family emergency, practical arrangements for short-term unplanned periods can be put in place.
Emergency Planning Toolkit
Useful Downloads
Care at Home Service leaflet
Care at Home in Receipt of Services leaflet
Ready for discharge leaflet
Care at Home Service leaflet
Local Carer Information
North Lanarkshire Carer Information
South Lanarkshire Carer Information
Your Feedback – comments, concerns and complaints
NHS Lanarkshire is committed to improving the service it provides to patients and their families. We therefore want to hear from you about your experience. If you would like to tell us about this please visit our feedback page.
