Do you care for a friend or family member? Would they be able to manage without your help? You may not realise you're a carer because you just see looking after them as part of your normal life.
Caring can be very rewarding and can cover lots of different things, such as washing, dressing, preparing meals and housework. It can also be very tiring and Wokingham Borough Council is reaching out to carers across the Borough to raise awareness of the support that is available.
If you provide care for an adult family member or friend there are a variety of ways the council may be able to support you. This could be by putting you in touch with other carers or organisations that provide support, helping you to arrange time out for yourself or in some cases practical assistance.
The council have a carer assessment in place which encourages you to think about any goals that you may have and identify what kind of support you think you may need to help you continue in your caring role. They will then look at how they can assist you in making your role as a carer easier.
This may include making sure you are receiving all the benefits you are entitled to as well as providing information on short breaks, and practical and emotional support. They are also able to provide information on what support is available to help you get back into work and how you could take part in leisure activities in order to maintain or improve your own health.
All you have to do is fill out the assessment form and someone will be in touch to arrange an appointment at a time suitable for you.
“Carers play a vital role in helping support their vulnerable loved ones. We want to ensure that all our carers around the borough are receiving all the support from us that they need,” said Cllr Charles Margetts, executive member for health, wellbeing and adult services.
“We also support a wide variety of fun activities across the borough for carers to come with their friends and families that they support and we would encourage them to find out more as there is something for everyone”.
To find out more visit the council website and search support and social groups for carers.
The council also supports the Carer Outreach Programme and Wokingham Crossroad who offer a wealth of support and information for carers across the borough.
A quarterly Dementia Care Advisory Newsletter is also available from the council which provide very useful information that you can sign up to via the council website
