| Services lack a proactive approach |
|
"If you're not searching for it, it probably won't
find you."
Mother from a Derby based support group
|
|
| There is a perception amongst many older carers that it is very
difficult to find out what services and support are available. Services
are seen as reactive and under intense financial pressure and consequently
do not reach out to families. |
|
"Nobody tells you anything!"
Father
|
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| At a local level decisions need to be made about how to ensure that
services do begin to work with older family carers and their adult
children, in a more proactive way. This calls for a strategic approach
from senior managers to set up a database or some method of routinely
identifying older family carers and make decisions made about whether
to appoint dedicated carer support workers or set up a new carer support
service. But there are also things that current services can do to
work in a more proactive way with families in general and older family
carers in particular. |
|
What can you do?
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Be family carer aware! Develop your
understanding of what an important role families play in the
lives of people with learning disabilities. Think how you can
support older family carers!
-
Make families feel welcome when they
visit your service.
-
Develop the named person role required
by Valuing People to liaise with families.
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Build relationships by keeping in
touch informally or even more formally. Talk to people on the
telephone, invite people to reviews, arrange transport for them
or hold it in their home, set up support groups, have a newsletter,
and ask family carers to contribute.
-
Be sure you know where to refer a
family on for an assessment and support. You need to know what
is out there and who to get in contact with.
In relation to families growing older together make sure you are
familiar with the key areas of:
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Age related health issues,
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Planning for the future- what are the options
for people?
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Increasing support as needs change - needs
could change very quickly as people get older. A yearly review
is not enough.
-
Providing leisure opportunities for the
person with learning disabilities which would also provide a
break for the older carer,
-
Providing support for people with learning
disabilities who are providing a lot of care and support to
their ageing parent.
Develop a project that encourages people with learning disabilities
to put together a life book. Engage carers in the development of
this project as people with vital information and expertise.
|
| Older family carers are less likely to ask for help! |
|
"Oh I couldn't bring myself to ask the social services
for any help. We've been coping all right for 50 years. Yes
we've been coping all right!"
Mother in her 80's
|
|
| Sometimes it is very difficult to ask for help even if you have
a right to it in law and really deserve it! Asking for help can be
a daunting prospect for any of us let alone independent minded family
carers who have been coping for decades, with a whole backlog of not
very positive experiences of services. |
