When we look after someone we love or care about, we may not consider ourselves as a carer. Caring is something we do as parents, partners, children, sisters, brothers and friends, often without question, or the need for a label.
You could be helping with household tasks such as cleaning or cooking, administering medication, organising and transporting someone to medical appointments, providing personal care or providing emotional support.
You could be doing it once a day, a couple of times a week or all the time. There are no time limits to being a carer.
It takes time to see yourself as a carer and even longer to recognise you have certain rights. However, it’s important to know your rights in order to access support that may be essential to maintaining your own health, wellbeing and work life balance.
Carers Rights Day is the national day led by Carers UK that helps to ensure carers are aware of their rights and know where to get help and support. It also raises awareness of the needs of carers.
In Plymouth, it is estimated that there are over 30,000 unpaid carers and every day 6,000 people in the United Kingdom become carers (Carers UK), often unexpectedly. As a result, they have no way to plan or prepare for the sudden changes to their own life – whether that be juggling their employment with caring or having to claim new benefits. At the same time, they will have to come to terms with their new caring role and navigate the health and social care system. It’s no wonder that caring can feel overwhelming, bewildering and stressful.
Thursday November 26th is Carers Rights Day and we want to help carers in our local communities find their way. Whether they are struggling with navigating a maze of health and social services, looking for places to access information, or finding they need extra support to cope with the pressures of caring, we want to empower them to find any assistance that will benefit them.
Lee Sewrey – Caring for Carers Manager said
“For the last 7 years we have run an information event for Plymouth Carers to attend and get advice and support from over 50 different organisations. This year, due to COVID-19 restrictions we are working differently to offer support to carers virtually. Whether you are a new carer or have been caring for someone for a while, we believe that it’s important that you understand your rights and are able to access the support that is available to you as soon as you need it.”
Our Virtual Carers Rights Day page can be viewed at www.improvinglivesplymouth.org.uk/carers-rights-day-2020 from Thursday 26th November 2020 where you will have access to support, advice and contact details from all of the usual organisations who attend our annual information events. To access our Carers Rights Day information pack by email or by post or to speak to a team member please call Caring for Carers on 01752 201890 to register as a carer and we will take your details to ensure you receive the information quickly.
