Carers in touch
Carers often feel they don’t have time to be ill, but it is essential to plan ahead for the unexpected...
If a carer faces an emergency – if they are ill or involved in an accident – they need to know that replacement care will be put in place straight away.
This may just involve a family member or a friend stepping in to help, but it’s a good idea to arrange professional back-up in addition to family support in case informal arrangements fall through.
Every carer who has an assessment should be asked about emergency plans.
The local council where the person you care for lives has a duty to carry out a needs assessment and emergency planning should form part of this. It will involve a detailed assessment of all the person’s care needs and the impact that caring has on the person’s family.
Ask your local council or carers’ support group if there is an emergency ‘carer card’ scheme in your area.
Carers register their details and emergency plan then carry a card with emergency contact details printed on it. In the event of the carer being taken ill, the plan would be implemented. ■ For more information, call Carers UK adviceline on 0808 808 7777 or visit www.carersuk.org
■ Have you tried the ICE (In Case of Emergency) system? In your mobile phone contacts, simply add the word ‘ICE’ before the names of anyone you would want to be called in an emergency. If you become unwell, the person who finds you will easily find emergency contacts in your phone. This system is widely recognised by staff working for the emergency services.