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Caring covers such a range of different situations, conditions and disabilities that we are only able to provide an overview of the help available to support carers and the people they look after.
You can find out what services are available in your area by contacting Carers Northern Ireland or your local social services department or by visiting the Finding Help section.
Help at home
This includes home care to help with some of the practical tasks of looking after someone such as getting a meal ready. It could be help with personal care such as getting them up in the morning and put to bed or washed and dressed. It could be help to ensure the person is kept safe from harm.
This help can be arranged through social services and the person you care for will require a community care assessment. Alternatively, if the person you care for can pay for the complete cost of the services, you may decide to make your own arrangements directly. Crossroads and Extra Care are examples of organisations which provides this type of support (For contact details visit Finding Help). Details of private agencies in your area which provide help at home are available from your social services department and are listed in Yellow Pages.
Day care
Day care services are provided for people who require assistance with basic tasks of daily living and who will in addition benefit from having these needs met away from their home. This may also enable you as the carer to get a break. Day care services offer opportunities to learn new skills and hobbies, join in with organised activities and events, and enjoy trips out and visits to places of interest. Meals are usually provided and transport is often available to take the person. Day care services are often provided by social services. Some organisations provide services for specific conditions or disabilities such as the Chest, Heart and Stroke Association or Alzheimer's Society.
Break services
These are covered in How do I get a break
Telecare and telehealth
Telecare and telehealth
Telecare and telehealth are technology solutions that can help relieve stress, and provide support, peace of mind, independence and dignity to carers and the people they care for.
An innovative range of non-intrusive telecare sensors, such as fall, smoke, flood and movement detectors, bed/chair occupancy, temperatures extreme sensors and medication reminders, work with a home unit to offer a comprehensive way of managing the risks to a person's health and home environment, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It also includes environmental control solutions which can be programmed to open and close windows, curtains and doors and operate domestic appliances, if the person being cared for has limited mobility and dexterity.
Telehealth solutions enable patients with long term conditions to monitor their vital signs, in their own homes. The results are then transmitted to the patients clinician who can view the data and take the appropriate action.
If you want to find out more, there are a variety of providers and solutions available. Your local authority and NHS may fund telecare and telehealth solutions, or they can be bought privately. Tunstall is the leading provider and has produced a booklet called “Support for Carers - Solutions for Independent Living”, which provides key information for health and social care providers and carers. This can be found at www.tunstall.co.uk/guides or by calling 01977 660479 for a free copy. They can also provide you with the contact details at your local council.
Aids and equipment
There are a range of gadgets and equipment which have been designed to help disabled people and their carers manage everyday life more easily. They range from simple things like two handled mugs and handrails to complex sophisticated support aids like hoists and environmental control systems. You can get information about these by contacting your GP or social services.
There are a number of ways you can arrange to view aids and equipment before you buy, borrow or hire them, including visiting the Independent Living Centre (For contact details visit Finding Help).
Adapting your home
The person you are caring for may be able to get a grant to help with the cost of repairing, improving or adapting their home or you may be able to get a grant for your own home if the person you are caring for lives with you. Grants do not necessarily cover the full cost of the work done. You can get information from your local Housing Executive Office (Grants Department) or social services department.
Residential and nursing home care
If the person you look after is unable to continue to live at home or you are unable to continue to care for them, you may need to think about residential care. There are two types of residential care:
You can get information on residential and nursing homes from your social services department.
Carers' services
Since 2003, local Health and Social Services Trusts (Trust) are able to provide services directly to carers, usually termed "carers' services". These can be anything which will help the carer to look after the person or help maintain their health and well being. Examples are a mobile phone to give a carer peace of mind when they are away from the person they look after; help with taxi fares so that the carer can get to hospital appointments or get to work on time; counselling or alternative therapies to deal with emotional issues and stress. This type of support can be provided as a direct payment.
The provision of carers' services is relatively new. You will need to check your Trust's approach to providing carers' services as it differs around the country, with some Trusts providing little or no services. Your social worker may not know about these services, so they might have to find out what is available in your local authority. Most of the services that benefit carers, including breaks services are provided to the person being looked after, sometimes referred to as 'community care services'.
Sometimes it is the combination of community care services and carers' services which can make a real difference. For example, a carer may have a community care service, such as a sitting service which enables them to get a break. The carer realises that after five years of caring they have lost touch with friends and family and feel isolated. They speak to their social worker about this and they look at how the carer can get back some of their social life. Another break is arranged using a sitting service and an adult education course is arranged as a carer's service. The combination of the two services mean that not only does the carer get a break, but also feels the benefit of doing something which has nothing to do with caring and leaves them more able to cope with their caring situation.
Direct Payments
A Direct Payment is money given to you or the person you care for by your local Health and Social Services Trust. You use the money to buy the services you need instead of social services providing them directly.
The benefit of having a Direct Payment is that it can help you buy support that is both timely and appropriate. Direct Payments can only be spent on getting the support you and the person you care for have been assessed as needing.
The government wants as many people as possible to benefit from Direct Payments. But you don't have to have a Direct Payment if you don't want to - you can opt to have services instead.
Vouchers
Although the Carers and Direct Payments Act (Northern Ireland) 2002, gives Health and Social Services Trusts the power to offer vouchers to allow carers to have a break from caring, this part of the Act has not yet commenced.
Your GP and primary care team
Your GP and primary care team can provide you with invaluable support, advice and information. The primary care team includes occupational therapists, physiotherapists, continence advisors and dieticians. Your GP, district nurse, health visitor or practice nurse can provide more information and refer you to these services. They can also refer you to your local social services department who can provide services to support you in your caring role.
Your GP may be able to help you as a carer by:
Most doctors’ practices now have a practice nurse. Their role differs from practice to practice, but they are often involved in routine health checks and nursing care. It might be useful to talk to the practice nurse if you have any concerns or would like more information about a certain aspect of health.
District nurses provide support to individuals and carers in their own homes. They are normally based in GP surgeries and your surgery or GP can provide more advice on accessing their support and assistance. Your
district nurse may be able to help you in your caring role by:
District nurses also have links with other community, social and voluntary services and can assist you in contacting relevant services.
Health visitors provide support to people of all ages and will normally be
based at your GP’s surgery. Your health visitor may be able help you as a carer by:
Pharmacy
Chemists are trained professionals qualified to advise on all aspects of
medication. Your local pharmacy may be help you with caring by:
Palliative care
Palliative care involves providing care to relieve suffering and focuses on controlling pain and other symptoms. Palliative care is especially important for those whose illness cannot be cured. Some people need specialist palliative care support, which may be provided by teams of health professionals working from hospitals or in the community.
Carers' organisations
Your area may have a carer's centre or group operated by Carers Northern Ireland, your local Health and Social Services Trust, the Princess Royal Trust for Carers or another voluntary organisation. They can provide a range of support to carers including:
Details of carers organisations in your area can be found in Finding help.
Independent Living Fund
The Independent Living Fund (ILF) is a trust set up and financed by the government. Its aim is to help severely disabled people to live at home rather than going into residential care. Applications have to be made through your local social services department.
The fund pays for extra care for people with very severe disabilities. The fund can only do this if:
If you think the person you are caring for meets these conditions, ask your social worker about the Independent Living Fund.
Page Last Modified: 06/12/2007
