Top tips for parent carers
Caring for someone can be rewarding but it can also be exhausting, both physically and emotionally. When you’re constantly focused on looking after someone else, it’s easy to lose sight of your own health and wellbeing.
You may find yourself responding to their needs while neglecting your own.
Here’s a few helpful tips to support you in maintaining your own wellbeing:
Tell your GP
- If your GP (General Practitioner) knows that you are a carer, they can offer you useful support, advice and information. They may be able to recommend or refer you to suitable specialists including Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Continence Advisers and Dieticians or other more general sources of support
- It’s important to tell your GP about your caring responsibilities so that they can signpost you to relevant support.
You might find this letter template useful.
Ask for a Carers Assessment of Need
- Getting a Carers Assessment of Need is a great first step toward accessing the support you deserve! It’s your opportunity to speak up about what help you need to continue in your caring role.
- Find out more, click here, and scroll to the Carers Assessment of Need section.
Get support
- It can be hard to know where to start when thinking about getting help for the person you care for. The first step is to ask for a Needs Assessment from City of York Council
- York Carers Centre run support groups and wellbeing activities which provide an opportunity to connect with other unpaid carers in York.
- The Parent Carer Forum York is an established group who work with parents and carers of children or young people with additional needs or disabilities (0-25) who live in York.
- To find out more about what is available to families in the local area visit the Family Hub Network, Raise York which is managed by City of York Council
- Joining local community groups is another way to meet people who are in a similar situation to you. Visit Live Well York to find other local groups
- For legal advice and information contact Child Law Advice
- CONTACT is a national charity offering support and information to families with disabled children.
Think about finances
- You can get free advice about the benefits you may be entitled to even if you own your own home and have savings.
- Once you are registered you can ask to talk to our Benefits Advisor who can support you and the person you care for to ensure you are receiving all the benefits you are entitled to.
Working and caring
- Carers now have the right to request Flexible Working, Carers Leave and time off in emergencies.
- Your employer may also offer other benefits to unpaid carers and it is helpful to know what is available. If you are working and caring tell your employer that you are an unpaid carer so they can support you.
- Visit our Advice page here for more information about working carers.
- Further advice and support for working carers can be found here.
