Help and support for Mansfield and Ashfield during Carers’ Week

The county council currently provides support and advice for around 4,700 carers at a cost of £8.36m a year, which includes respite units to give carers a break, personal budgets for carers and support for carers in a crisis.

It also offers a carers support service which assesses their needs, signposts them to support groups in their area and makes them aware of training and help that is available to them including a crisis-prevention service which offers respite for carers if they are unable to care for their loved one during short periods, carer’s breaks provided by the NHS and an emergency card to give carers peace of mind that the person they care for will be looked after in the event of an emergency.

The council is involved in an information event for carers on Wednesday, 11th June, from 2pm to 7pm at Christopher Cargill House on Pelham Road in Nottingham. Other agencies attending include Carers Federation Services, Nottingham City Council, NHS and Department of Work and Pensions.

Diane Davies and her husband Leslie, from Mansfield, care for their 23-year-old daughter Stephanie who has Asperger’s, a form of autism, rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia.

The family started to receive a personal budget six months ago and Leslie gave up work to care for Stephanie full time whilst Diane retains her job at Jigsaw Support Scheme, a local charity in the town.

Diane said: “Stephanie has substantial needs which can put my husband and I under incredible pressure.

“We both used to work full-time and we had a number of personal assistants but Stephanie responded better to us looking after her.

“People often don’t recognise themselves as a carer over being a mother, daughter or wife which is the first hurdle that they need to get over.

“Some carers don’t like to ask for help for fear of being seen as a failure, but they should access support otherwise their caring duties may become too much for them.”

Coun Muriel Weisz, chair of the council’s Adult Social Care and Health Committee, said: “There is a range of support that is available for carers to reduce the inevitable strain of their caring duties.

“We work with families to find the help and support that is right for both the carer and the person being cared for as each situation is unique and brings different challenges.”

Carers needing help or information should contact the Council on 0300 500 80 80 or visit www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/carers