Caring for a Friend or Relative

This information is intended for people caring for a friend or relative who needs help to look after themselves, to inform them about Social and Housing Services, how we work and what they can expect from us.

We work with people to help them continue to live as independently as possible and to help them continue to live in their own homes wherever possible.  As a carer the Council may be able to provide you with help and support and also may be able to provide help and support  for the person you are looking after.  Among the services we may be able to arrange or provide:

• Social work services
• Someone to help you look after yourself at home
• Meals delivered to your home
• Day services for older people and people of working age
• Support for carers, including respite - short breaks from doing the caring - or sitting services
• Help if you are leaving hospital or have had a serious illness
• Advice, equipment and adaptations to help you continue living at home
• Residential care or supported living schemes
• A ‘drop-in’ service for the Deaf Community at Lewis House in Bath
• Information and advice about other services

The person you are looking after, if they are frail or have a disability, is probably  entitled to a Community Care Assessment. To receive a service, you first need to have an assessment and be assessed against our eligibility criteria.

To organise an assessment contact the Adult Duty Team: 

There are also a number of easily downloadable information sheets containing related information. See the attachments below:

Carer's Assessment:

A Carer who is providing regular and substantial care to another adult, is entitled to an assessment of their own needs quite separately to the person they care for.  The assessment is not a test of your ability to care, but a conversation which helps you look at your caring situation and decide what help or information you may need in order to change things for the better. In certain cases the Council may provide services for carers, in other cases there may be a local voluntary organisation who can assist.

To organise a Carer's Assessment contact the Adult Duty Team on the details given above. 

 Other useful information

Carers Together is a project that aims to represent the views of Carers to health and social services.  If you have had experience of caring and of using local services, good and bad, you can make your views count through Carers Together.  Contact Tina Perry - Carers Together Co-ordinator on 01761 431388.

ACE Radio is a monthly audio resource for ACE Partners, Carers, Employers and those working with Carers across the UK and Europe. The programmes provide interviews and comment around the key ACE initiatives and developments and much more!

http://www.carersnet.org.uk/aceradio/aceradio.html