Devon Carers helps unpaid carers ‘recognise their rights’
Making sure unpaid carers across Devon are aware of their legal entitlements is top of the agenda on Carers Rights Day this month, following a report earlier this year that evidenced the daily experiences of hundreds of carers in the county and the toll looking after a partner, family member or friend can take on them.
Westbank Community Health and Care’s Devon Carers service has been supporting unpaid carers for 25 years. The theme of this year’s Carers Right’s Day on Thursday 21 November is ‘recognising your rights’. On that day, Devon Carers is organising an Information Fair at Exeter Library. A range of other organisations will be present at the event, including representatives of the charity Westbank, along with Citizens Advice Exeter, Healthwatch, South West Water, Parkinsons UK, SW MS Centre, Devon Young Carers, Talkworks, Exeter Dementia Action Alliance, Shared Lives SW, the HOPE programme, National Energy Action and Exeter Community Energy.
The Devon Carers’ team will also be giving advice at awareness stands in most of the county’s main hospitals. They'll be at Torbay Hospital, North Devon District Hospital, the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation (formerly RD&E) and the Nightingale Hospital.
The aim is to raise awareness of the rights carers have including the right to unpaid leave, to request flexible working/a carer’s assessment and a free flu jab, the right to be identified as a carer at their GP practice and to be consulted when the cared for person is discharged from hospital. Carers also have a right to protection against discrimination or harassment.
Andy Hood, Head of Westbank’s Devon Carers, says: “Most of us know someone who is an unpaid carer for a partner, family member or friend, however, many carers don’t identify themselves as such. Consequently, they are often unaware of their legal rights and what they’re entitled to in terms of support and benefits.
“As a carer, knowing your rights empowers you. This helps you feel confident asking for what you need, as well as challenging things when your rights are not being met – whether that be in the workplace or an educational setting, trying to access health or social care, or when interacting with other professionals or at home. Our aim is to help carers recognise and understand their rights, and to access the support available to them whenever they need it.”
Earlier this year, Healthwatch produced a report based on the experiences of 240 carers in Devon. It revealed that:
- 62% of carers have reached a point where they have been unable to manage, with more than half of these regularly feeling overwhelmed and unable to manage their caring role. Reasons for this include tiredness and lack of sleep (75%),the behaviour of the person they are caring for (54%), anxiety linked to their caring role (54%) and not having respite care in place (48%).
- 32% of carers who had either given up work or reduced their working hours said it had negatively impacted them. Reasons included a reduction in their finances, feeling socially isolated with a lack of purpose, and a decline in their self-confidence or sense of self-worth.
- 45% of carers said they do not prioritise their own health and wellbeing, mainly because their focus is primarily on the person they care for rather than themself, they lack the time and energy to prioritise their wellbeing, they have difficulties accessing healthcare services, and struggle with emotional barriers or a fear of negative consequences (e.g. hospitalisation).
- 25% of carers feel their own safety is at risk because of a decline in their mental health and wellbeing, the behaviour or emotional state of the person(s) they care for or complexities caused by their medication (e.g. the cared for person adjusting to new side effects).
Devon Carers would love to welcome as many carers as possible to the information fair at Exeter Library on Thursday 21st November.
