Carers information

Are you a carer?

A carer is anyone who spends a significant proportion of their time providing unpaid care to a family member or friend. This could be caring for a relative, partner or friend who is ill, frail, disabled or has a mental health or substance misuse problem, who would not be able to cope without their support.

The role of a carer is very diverse and can involve a range of activities, including: practical household tasks such as shopping, cleaning, cooking, laundering of clothes, assisting with medication, managing money, and taking the cared for to attend appointments; personal care, such as helping the cared for to the toilet, to wash and dress or move around their home; and/or emotional support.

The term carer should not be confused with a care worker, or care assistant, who receives payment for looking after someone.

Unpaid carers at Epsom & St Helier

Carers play a vital role during outpatient visits, inpatient stays, or procedures, and we’re here to support you:

Join consultations and tests with consent and where safe.
Speak on behalf of the person you support, with their permission.
Request to stay with them during hospital stays, where practical.
Let us know about other responsibilities you have so we can better support you.
Share feedback to help us improve our services.
If you can, let us know in advance that you’re coming, or tell us when you arrive.

Are you a young carer or young adult carer?

By definition, a young carer is someone under the age of 18 who provides care for a family member or friend who lives with an illness, disability, mental health and/or a substance misuse issue. Young carers may care for more than one person.

Supporting young carers is really important to us here at the Trust. We signed the Young Carers Pledge in 2019 which outlines the commitment that NHS employees are making to young carers.

Signing the pledge means we will:

SEE carers and listen to what they have to say,
RECOGNISE that they have their own needs as a carer,
VALUE their thoughts and opinions on how we take care of the person they look after,
CREATE a welcoming and caring environment for carers,
RESPECT that they know a lot about the person they care for.

How we are working with and supporting carers

When someone you care for is admitted to hospital, it is inevitable that you may worry but you can trust our team to look after them whilst they are in hospital.

However, you may choose to be here in your role as their carer, and work alongside the hospital staff to care for them, as you have the specialist knowledge and understanding of the person being cared for. We welcome carers and would like to work in partnership with you. We have pledged our commitment to John’s Campaign – you can read more about it below or by visiting the John's Campaign website (opens in new window).

Here at Epsom and St Helier, we support John’s Campaign which recognises the important role carers have in the lives of people living with dementia.

The campaign was founded in November 2014 by Nicci Gerrard and recognises and champions the value of carers coming to stay with, and continue supporting their loved one during an admission into hospital.

In the spirit of John’s campaign, we welcome carers of our patients on the ward and are committed to work in partnership with you.

If you are a carer, please speak with the nurse in charge on the ward to introduce yourself and your role as a carer (explaining what help and expertise you may be able to offer). Through this discussion the nurse in charge will be able to determine what will be in the patient’s best interests as well as the other patients on the ward. Once the carer status has been agreed, you will be given a carers passport and a badge or sticker identifying you as a carer (so it is easier for staff to know who you are, and to ensure that they provide the right support). Our carers passport outlines some of the things we have in place to help while the person you care for is with us, including visiting arrangements and concessions.

Taking care of yourself

We understand that often carers can be so preoccupied with the health and wellbeing of the person they are caring for, that they sometimes forget to take care of themselves and their own needs. Please remember that your health and wellbeing is important too.

We have put together some useful information (below) to help you take better care of yourself.

Make sure that you get enough sleep – many carers struggle to get a good night’s sleep but sleep is a vital part of our daily life and important for our physical and mental health. Try to limit the amount of coffee and alcohol you consume especially in the latter part of the day, relaxing with a warm bath or herbal tea before bed may help
Take regular time for yourself - caring for someone can be a full-time job so breaks are vital for your own well-being and quality of life
Speak to someone – if you are feeling stressed or depressed, it may help to seek out professional counselling services. Caring for someone can be very rewarding and can bring you closer together, but it can also be challenging and sometimes upsetting. If you are feeling vulnerable, start by speaking with your doctor or carers support centre
Maintain a healthy diet -sometimes this can be hard especially when you are very busy caring. There are simple ways to improve the way you eat and this can help you stay well and have enough energy for caring such as adding fruit into your cereal for breakfast, add fish into your meals, drink plenty of water, try cutting down on foods that contain added sugars (fizzy drinks, alcohol, cakes, but do remember to ‘treat’ yourself sometimes with food you enjoy
Be active - try and do an exercise you enjoy, perhaps light exercises such as walking, stretching, playing with the kids, gardening or dancing. This can help to make you feel less tired and maintain your energy.

The gesh Carers Charter

At St George’s and Epsom and St Helier (gesh), we are committed to working in partnership with our community.

This means actively listening, acting on, and learning from the experience of our patients and carers. We want to know what carers want from the Trust, what is important to them, and what does good patient experience mean to a carer?

We are holding several listening events to reach as many carers as possible to develop a gesh Carers Charter. The purpose of this charter is to define what carers want their experience to look like, and to use this information to create a range of commitments that the Trust will aim to uphold. If you help to look after someone at home, or support a family member or friends, we want you to be part of this project.

We will be working with our existing groups and forums, with carers centres and hubs, with all carers and patients that we can connect with, through as many services possible to:

Find out what would improve the experience of carers at St George’s and Epsom and St Helier hospital group
What carers would like to see on a carers charter
What is most important to carers.

We need you to be part of this project.

If you would like more information, please contact esth.patientexperienceteam@nhs.net

You care, we care

Unpaid carers in Surrey can get a free health check

Unpaid carers in Surrey are being invited for a free NHS Health Check, giving them the time and opportunity to discuss their own health and wellbeing needs.

Carers can be caring for a huge variety of reasons – as parents, spouses, siblings and also as wider family and friends. You can be caring for someone all their life, or only just become, or indeed realise that you are a carer.

We know that unpaid carers are over twice as likely to experience poor health as non-carers. The strain associated with caring can be damaging to carers’ physical and mental health. This new Carers Health Check service will help prevent more carers becoming unwell.

What is an NHS Carers Health Check?

A 30-minute telephone Carers Health Check will give carers the opportunity to discuss areas of their health and wellbeing. This includes smoking, diet, weight, alcohol consumption, physical activity levels, mental wellbeing, in addition to discussing any financial support requirements. At the end of each appointment you will be signposted to the best possible local services in order to help you achieve your personal goals.

How to book a Carers Health Check?

Please visit Health checks for carers

Get a free Carers Health Check

Further information, advice and support

There is a lot of support available for young and young adult carers within Surrey, Sutton and Merton. Below you will find a brief list of the services and support each charity provides and their relevant contact details.

Sutton Carers Centre

Sutton Carers Centre is a charity that provides a wide range of local support services to meet the needs of Carers in their own communities.

They provide information and advice about all issues affecting carers, including benefits, breaks, respite and support services, carer assessment procedures, aids and adaptations. They also provide emotional support by providing opportunities for carers to talk through their concerns, both individually and in group sessions, with staff, trained volunteers and other carers who understand their situation, thus helping to alleviate isolation and stress.

For more information, please call 020 8296 5611 or visit their website: www.suttoncarerscentre.org (opens in new window).

Action for Carers Surrey

Charity Action for Carers Surrey provides free, independent information, advice and support to carers of all ages, including young carers across Surrey.

They offer a variety of help including: support groups, as well as confidential telephone or face to face support, information on benefits, form filling, practical help on moving and handling; advocacy and information on your rights, well-being events, free resources and opportunities to influence change for carers locally and nationally. They also have a Hospital Carer Support Advisor who can support you to navigate inpatient stays at Epsom Hospital.

For further information, please call 0303 040 1234 or visit their website: www.actionforcarers.org.uk (opens in new window).

Carers First Merton

Adult carers:

Carers First offers support for unpaid carers in Merton. For adult carers this support can include:

Statutory Carers Assessments on behalf of the local authority. These look at the carer’s own needs and strengths while exploring services, resources and provisions that may assist with their caring role.
Advice, information and guidance on a wide range of issues such as carers’ rights in and out of employment, welfare benefits and income maximisation, self-care, future planning and emergency planning.
Face-to face and online groups and activities:
- Working Wednesday, a monthly online peer support group for carers who are in full-time or part-time employment.
- Young adult carers coffee and chat, a face-to-face support group for unpaid carers between the ages of 18-25 and “Young adult carers chill and chat”, an online peer led group.
- Pilates and mindfulness, an online peer led support group offering 45 minutes of standing Pilates, mindfulness and relaxation.
- Care2Relax chair Pilates and mindfulness, a peer led support group offering 45 minutes of seated Pilates, mindfulness and relaxation.
- Walk and talk in the park, a monthly walking group for carers of all ages.
- Coffee and conversation, a face-to face support group to have a chat and exchange experiences with other carers where a member of staff is available to assist with any questions and concerns.

Carers First offer friendly, accessible and personalised support to all carers in the way that suits them best: online, on the phone, or face-to-face in their local community.

For further information, please call their Helpline on 0300 303 1555 or visit their website at www.carersfirst.org.uk

Young carers:

Carers First support young carers with:

A series of one-to-one support sessions - which will focus on an aspect of the caring role, for example 'worries', and generally take place at home or at school.
General family support - which may include attending meetings and advocating on behalf of the young carer's caring needs, referrals to other support services etc.
Opportunities to gain respite through funded group activities, trips and carer-related workshops.

Carers First work with families to improve young carers’ lives by understanding their caring role, reducing feelings of isolation, improving emotional wellbeing and making healthy decisions.

Some of the services Carers First can offer to a young carer are offering an assessment and review of their strengths and needs, one-to-one support sessions, school drop-in sessions, attending meetings on their behalf and helping the carer too access local activities and clubs.

For further information, please call 0300 303 1555 or visit their website: https:/www.carersfirst.org.uk

Support for End of Life Carers in Surrey

www.caringtotheend.org is a website that provides a guide to end of life care and beyond for unpaid carers in Surrey. Whether you are looking for information and further guidance on how to make decisions together about end of life care, or you have recently lost a loved one and need help with immediate practical, legal and financial issues as well as coping with grief.

The website aims to provide a trusted information guide to end of life care for carers of all ages across Surrey, developed by local NHS organisations and Surrey County Council.

Carer's Assessment

If you provide a regular amount of care for someone aged 18 or over, you are entitled to a Carers Assessment. The assessment is carried out by the Social Services Department of the local authority. This assessment can be done in either your home, the home of the person you care for or somewhere independent such as your local Carers Centre. As the assessment is about you, the person you care for does not need to be present.

Social Services will look at your caring situation and see if you are entitled to any services that could make your caring role easier for you. It may be good to keep a list or a diary of your caring role tasks so you can explain what your caring role entails.

In Sutton, you can contact your local authority Social Services Department directly, or complete the form yourself with support from Sutton Carers Centre then send it on to Social Services. Alternatively Sutton Carers Centre can make a direct referral on your behalf. You can find out more on the Sutton Council website (opens in a new window).

For residents of Surrey County Council, you have the right to ask for a carer's assessment by completing Surrey County Council online carers' support needs assessment (opens in a new window) at any time. If you are eligible for support from Surrey County Council your needs could be met by a range of options, including paid services and services provided by the voluntary sector. If you are not eligible Surrey County Council will give you information and advice on where you can get the help you want.

Digital tools

Carers UK also provides carers in Surrey access to a wide range of digital tools and essential resources that may help make your caring situation easier.

You can access the digital tools, listed below, for free via the Carers UK website (opens in new window).

Upfront (opens in new window) a simple tool to support you to navigate the benefits and entitlements system. Fill in your details, spend a couple of minutes answering questions and you'll be guided to the information you need.
Jointly (opens in new window) - an app which helps you manage and coordinate activities and share information between those who you share the care with.
E-learning (opens in new window) - a variety of courses which aims to help you identify and find resources, technology and sources of support to help you in your caring responsibilities

Recording you as an unpaid carer

Patients are often seen by more than one team, or department and it is important to record this on our hospital system so that staff know there is an unpaid carer and involve you in the care of the patient. You may be asked about having this recorded on our patient's record.

It is also important to ensure that your unpaid carer status is registered at your GP Surgery and at the GP Surgery the patient you are caring for is registered with.

CarersSmart is a partner of Carers Trust and offers a club that is open to all unpaid carers: https://carers.org/grants-and-discounts/carersmart-discount-club

It is simple and free to join. Once you’re a member, you can benefit from a range of offers, including:

Cash back from several high street retailers on your shopping
Reduced insurance renewals
Holiday and travel arrangement discounts
Lifestyle activities at a reduced price
Legal advice services free or discounted

Supporting carers

This includes information on ‘Visiting and keeping in touch’, and how we are supporting carers, families and friends keep in touch with patients whilst they are in our care.

PALS

Our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) team have offices on both sites and may also be able to give you details of support organisations and advocacy services. They are also the first point of contact for health related issues, questions or concerns surrounding Epsom and St Helier patient services.

St Helier Hospital

PALS is located on the ground floor of the main reception, block B.
Phone: 020 8296 2508
Email: est-tr.PALS@nhs.net

Epsom Hospital

PALS is located on the ground floor of block A (first right at the Headley Wing entrance).
Phone: 020 8296 2508
Email: est-tr.PALS@nhs.net

Other information

Access support from family and friends or through organisations like Social Services and/ or the local carer support organisations based in your borough or district, for example crossroad carer surrey, and Age UK. These organisations offer a wealth of information, advice and support, and can enable you to access a variety of services for example befriending, day centres, domestic services, financial and benefit advice and flexible home based respite care.

Every GP surgery across the county should hold a register of their patient who looks after a friend or a relative. Registering as a carer with your GP practice will enable your GP to acknowledge you and your needs as a carer and provide you with further information and practical assistance.

For any other information please contact esth.patientexperienceteam@nhs.net

Carers' views, experiences and support

Here is a video from Healthwatch Surrey: Identifying carers

A Caring Mind — A blog for carers of mental health and cancer: https://caringmindblog.com/

This has been created by a member of multiple groups who work closely with various trusts and carer organisations.

Carers information

Search our website