Support for carers

Carers Support

Carer Coordinator within the trust

You can contact the Carer Coordinator, Sharon McGlynn, yourself or ask a member of staff to contact her on your behalf.  She can then either communicate with you by phone, text, email or make an appointment to meet with you either at the hospital or in the local community to suit your needs.

Phone: 07435 754386
Email: sharon.mcglynn@nhs.net

Dudley CVS
7 Albion Street
Brierley Hill
West Midlands
DY5 3EE
Phone: (01384) 573381
Email: carers@dudleycvs.org.uk

Role of Carer Coordinator

• To identify relatives and/or friends who provide care or support to patients within the Trust and encourage them to register with the Dudley Carers Health and Wellbeing Service for further information and support.
• To assist relatives and/or friends in recognising their caring role and identify appropriate support that is available. Carers can speak with staff on the wards about obtaining a carers passport (see below)
• To promote the rights and needs of carers to Trust staff
• To provide information and support to carers and staff to enable carers to access services in regard to health, social care, benefits, admission and discharge process as well as information and support available to carers in the Dudley area
• To contact identified carers following discharge to establish any further support needs

Link to carers support postcard as attached

Carers Passports

Carers of patients living with dementia and other long term conditions can ask to visit them in hospital at any time day or night. Carers Passports allow designated carers to visit them outside of visiting hours to offer extra support and make them feel more at ease in unfamiliar settings. The passports were introduced as part of Johns Campaign launched in the hospital in 2016 and can be obtained on wards and departments across the hospital by speaking with staff and negotiating appropriate concessions to visiting.

Link to copy of carers passport

Dudley Carers Health and Wellbeing Hubs

(Service provided by DMBC and Sandwell Crossroads)

• Brett Young Carers Hub Old Hawne Lane, Halesowen B63 3TB
• Queen’s Cross Network Wellington Road, Dudley DY1 1RB
• (01384) 818723 dudley.gov.uk/carers
• Any Dudley carer can contact the hubs to seek advice and support, including information about the Young Carers Service for carers under the age of 18 years    carers-guide-of-support-services-across-dudley-v1-nov-2020 (13).pdf

Other useful Contacts

• Adult Social Care ACCESS Team for adult social care assessments and carer assessments based in Brierley Hill, Health and Social Care Centre, Venture Way, Brierley Hill, DY5 1RE. Opening hours are 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday. Email on: dachs@dudley.gov.uk. Visit their website at www.dudley.gov/adultsocialcare. Phone number: 0300 555 0055 Emergency duty team (out of hours): 0300 555 8574.
• Adult Social Care Portal for self-registration and self-assessment (useful for working people as 24/7 access) Dudley Social Services for Adults
• Dudley Falls Prevention Service.
• Dudley Home Improvement Service 01384 817086
• Dudley Telecare Services for monitoring equipment for the home i.e. pendants and alarms 0300 555 2040 dudley.gov.uk/telecare.
• Dudley Community Information Directory Link to local information list of support groups, activities and organisations Dudley CI
• CAB 0300 3309 044 Welfare issues citizensadvice.org.uk.
• Crossroads Care Dudley: Caring for Carers with sitting service and more (01384)298513 crossroads.org.uk.
• Dudley Stroke Association (01384) 271982 dudleystrokeassociation.org.uk.
• White House Cancer Support (01384) 231232 info@support4cancer.org.uk.
• Self-Management Programme – 01384 816437 free 6 week course for carers of people with long term conditions teaching you to look after yourself
• Dudley Talking Therapies Service- Freephone 0800953 0404 Support with anxiety, low mood and depression and other stress related issues
• nhs.uk/live-well advice and tips for health and wellbeing
• https://lets-get.com information and resources about local services and how to get involved

Mental Health and Learning Disability carer support

• MIND carer support group (01384) 442938 dudleymind.org.uk.
• Carer Support at Rethink for carers of people with a mental illness (01384) 869898 rethink.org.uk.
• Dudley Voices for Choice (learning disability) (01384) 217057 dudleyvoicesforchoice.org.uk.

Dementia Carer support

• Alzheimer’s Society & Dementia Connect, 0333 150 3456 & alzheimers.org.uk, 
• Dudley Dementia Advisor Service DMBC (01384) 816039.

Further Information

Who is a Carer?

A carer is someone of any age who provides unpaid support to family or friends who cannot manage without their help. This could be caring for a relative, partner or friend who is ill, frail, disabled or has mental health or substance misuse problems.

How many Carers are there in Dudley?

In the 2011 census nearly 38,000 local people identified themselves as carers. They may be caring for their husband, wife, mother, father, daughter, son, friend, neighbour or grandparents/ children. More than one in ten of the population, locally and nationally, provide care to someone on a regular basis. Carers UK research suggests that it is one in eight.

For more information you can visit www.carersuk.org

How can you identify a Carer?

Many people do not recognise that they are carers and so it is important for those that work in health care to be aware. There is an elearn Carer Aware course available in Dudley at www.dudley.gov.uk/carers.

Anyone can become a carer. Many people realise that they have become carers over a period of time when they find themselves doing more and more for the person. For example they may start out collecting prescriptions, escorting them to GP or hospital appointments, preparing meals and this may develop into assisting them with washing and dressing, cleaning and feeling unable to leave them alone for fear that they may fall or harm themselves. They maybe become carers following the persons discharge from hospital or diagnosis of an illness or following an accident. This means that receiving appropriate information at this time is vital to them coping with their role. Many carers are of working age and struggle to provide care for the person around their own work schedule as the peak caring age is 50-59 years, although the number of carers over the age of 65 years is rapidly increasing and many older couples are providing care for each other. The next of kin may be the main carer but not always and so it is important to ask the patient who is their main carer and are they willing and able to take on or continue with this role. If they are not able to the carer may need support or information in regard to what they can do.

• Many carers experience physical and mental ill health themselves as a direct consequence of stress and the physical demands of caring and so it is important that their role be recognised and understood if they are to continue caring. For further information about research and campaigns…..

Carers UK advice line: 0808 808 7777 www.carersuk.org.

Dudley Carers Strategy 2019- 2021 and Priorities of the strategy

• Information to carers
• Access to assessment of need
• Provision for breaks for carers
• Supporting carers to be part of the community
• Emotional support
• Maintaining carers health
• A voice for carers
• Support for young carers
• Financial matters