• Use the local media - newspapers and radio, even telly. Sometimes the best approach is a 'human interest story'. Tell a story about families' experience (good or bad) to promote what you have to offer, and spread the word on how you can help.

• Print leaflets and posters about your service - what's available - how to get access to it - whom to approach. Keep the language clear and jargon free. Make font sizes larger than normal (at least 18) and don't use certain colours which get harder to distinguish as you get older. For example reading materials printed on low contrasting coloured paper like black print on red paper.

• Produce videos and audiocassettes in a range of languages - to reflect your local community. Topics that have been successfully developed in this way include: planning for the future; moving out of the family home; showcasing the range of local provision and health promotion.

• Disseminate your written information widely - get your information out to GP surgeries, community groups, supermarket notice boards, the post office. Anywhere where there is a billboard and people are likely to see it.

• Talk to other groups so information about your service can spread through the local community. Talk to Primary Care Groups Ð GP's are usually the first point of call for the majority of families. As we saw previously, with Enid and Mary, District Nurses are working out in the community and have an important role to play. Talk to community groups. This is particularly important in making contact with families from minority ethnic and black communities. Church and other religious groups are also a useful point of contact. Get the word out on the street in your community and use a range of different networks. Don't get locked into service networks.

Providing people with information is the starting point. Letting them have the opportunity to think about how it connects to their life, making choices and decisions is a process services need to nurture and support.

• People need to be in the right environment to 'hear' the information and think through what it means in their particular family circumstances.

• Bring people together into support groups. This is a good forum to share information and give people support to think through what they have heard.

• Provide one off information giving sessions on a particular topic. The Sharing Caring Project in Sheffield has regularly run one off information and consultation session on a range of topics, where up to 100 older carers take part.

• One to one advice and guidance - some people will never feel comfortable in-groups. They will need personal contact on a one on one basis. This could be provided locally in different ways through a liaison worker, family adviser, carers support worker, independent advocate, or social worker. What is important is that they get the opportunity to hear about possible sources of support and alternative provision and get them to think it over without having to make immediate decisions.

Many older carers say they feel pressurised into making decisions in meeting with professionals. Once they have had the time to think about it they have been known to change their minds. This can be frustrating for staff as well. We had it all agreed at the meeting. Everything was in the process of being set up and she (the mother) just changed her mind. I couldn't believe it! Of course everyone has the right to change their mind but the real issue remains, families must not be pushed into making decisions to suit the time frame of staff and services.