Herefordshire Carers Support

Welcome to Herefordshire Carers Support (HCS)

Looking after someone can be tough, but you are not on your own. HCS is here to listen, to give information and advice tailored to you.

We aim to open up possibilities so that you can continue your caring responsibilities but also to take stock.

Each Carer is individual and different, what helps one person may not help another but HCS will help you to explore ideas and think about what might help you.

Who are Carers?

A Carer is someone who provides unpaid support to a family member, partner, friend or neighbour who may be ill, frail, elderly, have a disability or long-term health issue or have mental health issues.

Perhaps you don’t think of yourself as a ‘Carer’

You may see yourself as the mother, husband, daughter or friend of someone who needs care, simply trying to do your best for someone you love, or perhaps doing what no-one else can or will do.

Carers do not necessarily live in the same home as the person they care for and may themselves be unwell, have a disability or long-term illness.

There is support available for you

There are huge pressures on Carers - cumbersome bureaucracy to name but one. But the biggest pressure is having so little contrtol over your own life. It’s hard to be positive while you’re fighting what you can’t change. Sometimes you have to accept there are some things in your situation that you can’t change and then see what you can do to improve it.

No-one is super-human and all Carers need help, support and back-up at some point. If you’re not sure what kind of support you need or whether you need support at all, please get in touch.

It is important for you to know your rights as a Carer

Herefordshire Carers Support provides various Forums for you to learn about your entitlements and to enable you to contribute to the way services are planned and provided.

You should be aware of the new ‘Care Act’ which is due to be implemented in April 2015. This new Act incudes legislation that will strengthen the recognition and rights of Carers and for the first time will give Carers a clear entitlement to receive services through Social Care. We can provide more information including fact sheets and guidance about this.

Decide what you might like to change about your caring role by:

• Providing sources of information and advice about equipment.
• Taking short breaks away from your caring role.
• Maximising your income.
• Helping you to plan for a crisis or emergency.
• Showing you where to go for legal advice e.g. Wills, Power of Attorney and Trust funds.

Build your confidence and give you strategies for being more assertive by:

• Providing help in dealing with difficult emotional conflicts and difficult relationships as a result of your caring role.
• Making sure your view is taken notice of and included in plans for you and/or the person you care for.

We can help you to:

“I do enjoy feeling in touch with other Carers via the newsletter.”

Learn from others in similar situations by:

• Sharing difficult feelings with others who can help you to feel stronger and more able to cope.
• Providing you with a quarterly magazine full of useful information and tips from other Carers.
• Going on our website and Facebook pages that connects you with other Carers.
• Finding out how services are organised and what there is in your local area.

Manage your time by:

• Helping you to realise that stress can impact in different ways and giving you steps to reduce or prevent it.
• Helping you to have a reasonable balance in your life and making room for the things you would like to do.
• Finding New ways of coping, just trying something different can, in itself, help you feel good and more resilient. 

Build your skills by:

• Accessing our training programme, which includes learning about how to look after the person you care for e.g. understanding dementia, autism awareness, and how to care for yourself including looking after your back.

Disability Equipment Service Herefordshire

(DESH) is a new local website which lists second-hand disability equipment no longer required which is being sold or given away by individuals who live locally.

It is FREE to advertise and simple to use. If you prefer you can call us 01432 356068 and we will list the equipment for you. We can also search for what you are looking for.

All the items advertised are in Herefordshire or the surrounding areas, so you needn’t travel far for the equipment you need!

Visit www.herefordshirecarerssupport.org/desh

Always get in touch!

Herefordshire Carers Support

Berrows Business Centre, Bath Street, Hereford HR1 2HE

Tel: 01432 356068 : Fax: 01432 356149

Website: www.herefordshirecarerssupport.org

Email: help@herefordshirecarerssupport.org

Facebook: Herefordshire Carers Support : Twitter: @HerefordCarers