Caring for someone

If you are looking after someone who relies on you to complete their day-to-day activities then you are a carer. This means that you too are eligible for support. Caring will affect most of us in our lifetime, whether we become a carer or need care ourselves.

As a carer you can get advice, support and help from Buckinghamshire Council and other organisations. A carer's assessment will find out what help you need.

A carer’s assessment is for carers over 18 years old who are looking after another adult over 18 years old who is disabled, ill or elderly. It is an opportunity to record the impact caring has on your life and what support or services you need. The assessment will look at, for example, physical, mental and emotional needs, and whether you are able or willing to carry on caring.

Any carer who appears to have needs for support can have an assessment. You are entitled to an assessment regardless of the amount or type of care you provide, your financial means or your level of need for support. The person you care for does not have to be receiving support from adult social care, nor do you have to live with the person you are looking after or be caring full-time to have an assessment.

Assessments can be carried out in person, on the phone or online. It is your choice whether you would like the person you care for to be present or not.

During your assessment the following points will be discussed:

• your caring role and what effect it has on your life
• your health and wellbeing – physical, mental and emotional health
• your feelings towards your caring role
• what impact your caring role may have towards relationships and social activities
• any impact this has on your own work, education or training
• planning for emergencies – we can help create a contingency plan for any unexpected emergencies/absence that may affect your caring role

The aim of the assessment is for you to get the support that you need. Please be honest about how you feel so that we can help you and offer the best support and advice.

Buckinghamshire Council is fully committed to helping carers and invest a large amount of funding to support Carers Bucks, an independent charity that supports unpaid carers in the county.

Carers Bucks supports the health and wellbeing of unpaid carers and supports unpaid carers of all ages and in different caring roles. These caring roles include young carers, young adult carers, parents of children with a physical or learning disability, older carers, carers from the black and minority ethnic community and those looking after someone with a mental health condition.

Carers Bucks also provides a number of services for the benefit of carers in Buckinghamshire, including a Caring for Older Carers (75+) service, young adult carers support and a Carers Lounge at Stoke Mandeville Hospital.

All our services are free to carers.

All carers contacting Carers Bucks can speak to an experienced support worker in confidence, either over the telephone or by visiting the offices (please call first to make an appointment).

Call: 0300 777 2722 (calls charged at local rate)
Email: [email protected]
Website: Carers Bucks website

You may be eligible for a Carer's Allowance. You could get £67.60 a week if you care for someone at least 35 hours a week.

Find out about Carer's Allowance at Gov.uk

Young carers are:

• 5-18 years old
• caring for a family member with a physical or mental illness, disability or drug or alcohol addiction
• caring for a parent, sibling or other relative living in the same household

Contact Carers Bucks to find out how they can help and support you:

Young Carers - Carers Bucks website

When young carers transition to adulthood themselves, Carers Bucks can offer help and guidance to ensure they have the same opportunities as others through their 'Same Chances' programme and support groups. These provide support for carers aged 16-25.

There is no charge for this service.

Young adult carers - Carers Bucks website