Carers week is the annual National campaign that aims to raise awareness of caring, highlight the challenges unpaid carers face and recognise the contribution they make to families and communities throughout the UK.
A carer is anyone who cares, unpaid, for a family member or friend who due to illness, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction, cannot cope without their support.
Many people do not see themselves as family carers and statistically it takes two years for people to recognise themselves in this role, here’s the list of factors that can be used to understand whether you are a carer or not.
Do you help a family member, child, friend or neighbour that:
- is frail
- has a disability or special needs
- has a chronic illness and/or
- has a mental illness
- has dementia/Alzheimer’s
- has a substance misuse problem with drugs or alcohol
Did you answer yes to one or more from the above?
If that’s the case, we would love to take this opportunity to celebrate you for all the amazing work you’ve been doing!
Caring can be a rich source of satisfaction in people’s lives, however, without the right support it can have an impact on your mental health.
For these reasons, there are numerous services that can assist you on this journey. Find out what support is available from charities.
By using the myGP app, you can add dependants onto your account to manage the health of the person you care for via your smartphone. Find out more here.
