Hidden carers discovered
Thursday August 4, 2011
More than 100 new carers have signed up for support and advice from the council – a year after the authority took charge of a borough-wide carers’ support service.
Until recently, these new - or ‘hidden’ carers - had never taken up the opportunity to join a support group or seek out help specifically aimed at carers.
However, since August last year, when H&F Council made changes to the carers service, 117 extra people who care for a family member or friend have contacted the council to find out more about the services available to them. The service helps around 700 carers across the borough all together – many people have been attending sessions for several years and others have only just taken up the support on offer.
Carers can get advice, information and support from the council, and are referred to specialist services where necessary. The service is made up of three community-based teams in the north, centre and south of the borough, meaning that staff can visit carers near their homes, making it easier for them to access support.
One such carer is Janet Howard, 55, who lives in Stevendale Road with her husband and son. She has been the main carer for her mother, May Ridge, who lives in the adjoining flat and suffers from dementia.
Janet says: “I’ve been caring for my mother for the past six years, I suppose, but it’s hard to say because at first you don’t even realise that you are actually a carer. I do her food shopping, help her with her personal needs - that kind of thing.”
Janet, who used to work in Sainsbury’s in Sands End, stumbled upon the weekly support group in St Matthew’s Church on Wandsworth Bridge Road in February, when she opened the church for the group, and has since been a regular member.
She says: “I belong to St Matthew’s and we do a rota to open and lock up the church. I just listened in on the group one day and then, at the end of the session, I spoke to the person running it and told her I was a carer too. So she encouraged me to sit in on the next session, which I did, and it went from there.
“I had a carer’s assessment three years ago and a small carer’s grant and I was told about other groups then but I thought it would be people sitting around being miserable. But I couldn’t have been more wrong - there’s a lot of laughter and no one would know that we’re a bunch of carers.
“We just have a chat about everything and nothing, it’s a break, but also I feel that if it’s been a bad day - if Mum’s been particularly mean - I can say things to the carers’ group that I couldn’t maybe say to someone who wasn’t in that situation, who might not quite understand.”
The council currently runs seven support groups and three drop-in services that meet on a weekly basis at various locations across the borough, and there is a dedicated helpline for carers.
Specialist groups have also been commissioned to support carers of people with learning disabilities, mental health needs, substance misuse issues, on-going memory problems and for former carers. Carers can also access advocacy, counselling and reflexology services.
Cllr Joe Carlebach, cabinet member for community care, says: “Janet’s story is typical of so many of our carers in the borough, who do not even realise that they are carers and might not be aware of the support we can offer them.
“Being a carer is an incredibly testing role and we understand that carers need to take a break every now and then, to have a life outside of their role as a carer and to have a chance to express themselves in an open and supportive environment. We’ve had consistent feedback from carers across the borough saying that services have really improved.
“We really appreciate our carers - they are our unsung heroes - and our services are aimed at supporting them, giving them the recognition they deserve and offering them a well-deserved breather.”
Janet adds: “If anyone is thinking about going to one of the groups or the drop-in sessions, I would say to at least try it once. It’s a really relaxed environment, it’s not pressurised, you don’t have to do anything, you can just sit and listen if you want to, and it would definitely help you.”
You can contact the carers’ support service team on 020 8753 4616 or Freephone 0800 996 1754, or email carersupport@lbhf.gov.uk.
