What type of Carer are you?
At Gloucestershire Carers Hub we are always mindful that Carers, like everyone else are unique individuals. We know that every caring situation is different and has its own demands and challenges. Below is a list of different types of caring roles. If your caring role is not listed, you can still call on Gloucestershire Carers Hub for help and support.
Although for many Carers, caring can have positive and rewarding aspects, there are lots of reasons why caring can also leave you needing support. We can provide support and information around:
- Money and benefits – Claiming benefits that you, and the person you care for, are entitled to and other money matters.
- Looking after myself – Keeping yourself well, courses and groups, and life after caring.
- Time away from caring – Short breaks, respite, day services and Carer assessments.
- Getting out and about – Transport, blue badges, days out and holidays.
- Working and learning – support if you are working, looking for work of want to learn new skills.
- Practical support – Help in your home, residential care, emergency planning and paying for care.
- Legal Rights – Know your rights and managing other people’s affairs.
Whatever type of Carer you are, and whatever your needs, make Gloucestershire Carers Hub your first point of call.
Your Title Goes Here
Your content goes here. Edit or remove this text inline or in the module Content settings. You can also style every aspect of this content in the module Design settings and even apply custom CSS to this text in the module Advanced settings.
Parent Carers
As a Parent Carer you may be caring for a child under the age of 18, or for your adult child who has additional needs such as a physical disability or a learning difficulty (disability).
Parents of children with additional needs face a unique set of challenges. There may be issues around education, or support needs, or a need for specialist equipment.
We can signpost (or with consent refer) you to various organisations that can support you and your child, so that your child receives the right support to reach their potential; we can also make sure you are receiving advice on your entitlements and help you to access grants and charitable funds.
We can continue to support you through the period when your child transitions from child services to adult services.
We can also help you to plan for the future.
We also suggest you join the Gloucestershire Parent Carer Forum which is a voice for those with lived experiences of being a Parent Carer.
Caring for a spouse or partner
You could be supporting a spouse or partner who has become ill, disabled, or frail. In some cases, this can mean that you must take on all the responsibilities that were previously dealt with by your partner. In addition to fulfilling a new and challenging role as a Carer, this can understandably be a daunting transition.
Mental Health Carers
You may be supporting someone with Mental Health and emotional needs. This could be due to a Mental Health condition, and they need additional support from you which could be physically or emotionally. We work closely with the Mental Health team within the NHS to provide support for individuals who are supporting someone with poor mental health. If you are supporting someone emotionally you are still a Carer.
We work with the Mental Health Carers Groups in the county to provide updates and also run our own Mental Health Carers group online every Friday morning, this can support with meeting other Carers in similar situations.
Caring 24/7
Some caring roles are intense and place high demands on the Carer. Our team understand the challenges which can happen when caring at such times and can help you to explore support options which may be available to you. We can also offer advice on benefits and services that you may be entitled to.
Reluctant Carer
Some people feel that the caring role has been thrust upon them. No one has to provide unpaid care.
If you feel reluctant about caring but feel that you must still undertake the role of a Carer, make sure that you are getting all the help and support available to ease the load. Remember you are still entitled to a life outside of caring. Our team can support you to understand your options.
Sandwich Carer
More and more Carers are finding themselves with a dual caring role, that is, caring for more than one person with very different needs, e.g. an elderly parent and a young child. This role can have effects on managing your daily life when planning and trying to get everything done. It can add pressure and stress to everyday situations, we can support you with dealing with the added juggling of different care needs.
Substance misuse Carers
Caring for someone who is dependent on alcohol or drugs is challenging because Carers can still feel that there is a stigma attached to this type of illness.
Our staff will support you in a non-judgemental and professional manner which will help you to feel less isolated.
A serial Carer
Some Carers say they have been caring in one way or another for their entire life. They may start out as a young Carer for a parent or sibling, then they may find themselves caring for a spouse, or continuing to care for a sibling after the death of parents. This prolonged period of caring can add extra strain on your life, and you may struggle to do things for yourself. We can support you with organising your time and with any queries you may have.
Dementia Carers
Supporting someone with Dementia/ Young Onset Dementia can be a worrying and challenging time, you may notice changes rapidly and this can be concerning and distressing for the Carer.
We work closely with organisations such as Managing Memory 2gether, Mindsong, Dementia Carers Count and Alzheimer’s Society to deliver a variety of information sessions for Carers. We are actively involved with awareness events such as Dementia Action Week.
We also run regular coffee catch ups online both in the morning and early evening for those supporting individuals who have varying stages of dementia. This gives a valuable opportunity to meet other Carers in similar situations.
A stressed-out Carer
Caring can bring a lot of challenging issues with it. Chatting with our friendly and experienced staff can help you to find solutions. Sometimes just having someone to listen to your concerns in a non-judgemental fashion can help enormously.
Bereaved Carer
It can be daunting to re-build your life following a bereavement. Gloucestershire Carers Hub continue to support Carers for 12 months after the caring has ended. Services such counselling or the emotional wellbeing pathway may support in considering your needs. We also have a page dedicated to support you understand the journey of life after caring which can be found: Life after Caring – Gloucestershire Carers Hub
Caring from a distance
Some Carers find themselves looking after relative, e.g., an elderly parent, who lives in another town or county. They may visit frequently, help with managing finances, shopping, appointments etc.
If you are a Carer and you live in Gloucestershire, you are eligible to receive a service from us even when the person you care for lives out of our catchment area.
Also, if you are supporting someone who lives in Gloucestershire and you live elsewhere you can still access our services to support you.
Young adult Carer
Young adult Carers are aged between 16 and 25. You might look after someone at home who has extra needs, for example an illness, disability or addiction.
Some of the ways you might care for someone are:
- Staying in the house a lot to be there for them
- Helping them to get up, get washed or dressed, or helping with toileting
- Doing lots of the household chores like shopping, cleaning and cooking
- Looking after younger siblings because of their or your parent’s illness or disability
- Providing emotional support, for example encouraging, listening, or just being there for someone
If you think you might be a Young Adult Carer, you can register with us if you are over 18 and you can also talk to Gloucestershire Young Carers. They will help you find support and further information.
Working Carer
As a working Carer you are in full or part-time employment, and provide unpaid support to someone. Juggling the demands of caring for someone and working can be challenging. We can support you in approaching and talking to your employer and making them more Carer Aware about employees in their workforce who may be Carers. We can also support you by listening to you and supporting you with balancing work, caring, and having time for yourself.