EMERGENCY CARE AND BACK UP PLANS

Many thanks to the high number of carers who completed the questionnaire about carers’ services and in particular emergency care and back up plans.
Calderdale Health and Social Care Department have received funding to implement emergency care services and back up plans for carers. The results from the survey will be used to help inform this much needed development. During the remainder of this year we will be working with them and with carers to help plan and implement a back up service.
Emergency care is a short term package of respite care, possibly in the cared for’s own home, provided because the carer is unexpectedly unable to provide their usual care.
Examples of emergency care situations would be the carer’s sudden illness, a bereavement in the family, a need to travel quickly to visit a sick relative and similar unexpected situations.
A back up plan would be thought out in advance and should detail how to get the emergency care help, what help it would be and what would follow if the situation continued beyond the first few days. It could also contain details about the specific needs of the cared for. This could be especially important if they were unable to communicate their own needs through, for example, Alzheimer’s Disease, emotional health problems etc. So planning for the unexpected can help should the situation arise and will help to alleviate some of the worry about this.
Everyone involved is very keen that plans for the new services accurately reflect carers and cared for needs and aspirations. In the coming months we hope many carers will voice their opinions and tell us what they think would work. There will be many opportunities to do this and to be involved in piloting the new service as it begins to operate. So watch out for events and letters about this and take the opportunity to help plan and tell us what you need. This is a real opportunity to make progress on a service that would help provide some peace of mind for many.

Carers Day out.

The rain didn't dampen the spirits of carers and staff alike when 50 carers and project staff had a lovely day out on a barge from Skiptoon to Farnhill Woods and back. There was pleasant company, a salad lunch and it provided a relaxing change from caring duties.