Carers

What is a carer?

A carer is anyone who looks after a family member, partner or friend who needs help because of their illness, frailty, disability, and risk of falls. The care they give is unpaid. A carer can be an adult or a child.  

Caring can be rewarding but it can also be demanding, physically and mentally. This can have a huge impact on your own health and wellbeing.  

As a carer it is very important that you are aware of the help available to support you so you can continue to care without putting your own health and emotional wellbeing at risk. 

Caring can:   

• Put you more at risk of injury if you need to help someone with walking or getting out of bed  
• Wear you out – especially if you don’t get a break  
• Cause financial difficulties – for example if you have to give up work  
• Make you feel guilty, angry, frustrated or depressed  
• Isolate you from family and friends – especially if caring makes it difficult for you to stay in touch with family and friends or stay involved in your hobbies and interests  

To get support you should get a carer’s assessment. This is a chance to focus on how caring affects you and any help you need to support you as a carer.

It is a good idea to create a falls plan for the person you care for. This will mean both you and they understand, and are prepared, if they do have a fall.