6.5 million people in the UK are carers and every day another 6,000 people take on a caring responsibility. It is estimated there are over 60,000 carers in Oxfordshire.
By ‘carer’ we mean someone who provides unpaid care and support to a family member or friend who has a disability, illness, mental health problem or who needs extra help as they grow older.
For some, taking on a caring role might be sudden: a family member has an accident or a child is born with a disability. For others, the role of carer creeps up unnoticed: parents gradually find it harder to manage on their own or a partner’s health slowly worsens.
The amount of time and support carers provide varies considerably but one thing that all carers need is advice. There are many support groups around where a carer can meet other people who are in a similar position to themselves and often talk to a professional about a wide range of issues. Many people find support groups beneficial but they are not for everyone.
Emergency Care Cover from Carer’s Oxfordshire
In the first year of operation ‘Carers Oxfordshire’ has provided face to face support through our outreach worker team to well over three thousand carers. This is an amazing figure and far higher than we were expecting in our first year of service. However, there is no room for complacency and we continue to work with fellow professionals such as Watlington and Chalgrove Surgeries to highlight carer’s issues and ensure carers receive the support, advice and information that is so vital to them.
We believe that Oxfordshire has upwards of 60,000 carers and one of our main objectives for the coming year is to ensure that as many carers as possible register for the Emergency Carers Support Service. This service provides free emergency care for the person the carer looks after in the event of an emergency. To sign up for the service carers should contact:
Carers Oxfordshire telephone: 0845 050 7666 Email: [email protected]
Once registered, they will be sent an Emergency Carers Support Service welcome pack which will include two Emergency Carer Cards with the 24 hour hotline number to call in the event of an emergency. This will give carers reassurance and peace of mind in an emergency such as a crisis for the carer, for example sudden illness or in the event of a crisis for the cared for such as a fall.
‘Carers Oxfordshire’ would like all of Oxfordshire’s 60,000 carers to register for this excellent and free service. We know this is an ambitious objective and to achieve anything like these numbers we are once again asking for your help. If you could ensure that all those carers you or your team have contact with are aware of the service it would be an enormous help in achieving our goal.
Hard copies of the leaflet ‘Carers Oxfordshire’ are available at the surgeries. Download a copy by clicking Oxfordshire Guide for Carers
Alternatively if you would like a copy by post please do not hesitate to contact us at the address below.
Catherine Blaxhall
Carers Support Service Manager
Tel: 01235 424 715
Direct Line: 01235 849472
Mobile: 0755 7430 881
www.carersoxfordshire.org.uk
