I am a carer who has been in hospital

If you are a carer who has recently been in hospital, you might go straight home to your caring responsibilities without taking the time you need to rest and recover. You may feel you need support to carry out your caring role or you may not be able to carry out your caring role at all for a while. Whatever support you need, there is help available.

When you are in hospital, you should inform the healthcare staff who are treating you and discharging you that you are a carer so that they can help to make any necessary arrangements. They can also make sure that the person you care for is safe – for example, if you have been admitted to hospital at short notice.

Carers Bucks has a dedicated hospital team working at Stoke Mandeville, Wycombe General, Amersham and Wexham Park hospitals and can support you throughout your stay in hospital and the discharge process. Carers Bucks can also offer advice and support on all aspects of your caring role.

If the person you care for is already receiving some sort of paid care at home whilst you are in hospital, it may be possible to extend this until you are able to resume your caring responsibilities. It may also be possible for the person you care for to have a short stay in a residential home whilst you are recovering. You may be eligible for help with the costs of any additional support.

If you know that you are going to be in hospital for a period of time, you should try and make preparations in advance. It is important for carers to have an emergency plan (sometimes known as a contingency plan) in place which will cover situations such as planned and unplanned hospital stays. This plan can give you reassurance that the person you care for will be looked after when you are not able to care for them yourself. Carers Bucks can help you create your emergency plan.