Each of these carers plays a vital role and I am incredibly grateful for everything they do. This week is Carers’ Week and we want carers to feel visible, valued and supported in Nottinghamshire.
We are working with carers to find out how we can meet their needs better over the next five years.
A group of carers recently helped develop our Carers’ Strategy and told us what was important to them, which will help us to ensure we are offering the right support at the right time.
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Coun Matthew Barney, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health at Nottinghamshire County Council. Picture by Tracey Whitefoot.
This included things like providing short breaks or replacement care so they could have a break from caring and supporting the carer’s health and wellbeing.
One of the carers who was involved in the process told us it was ‘really refreshing’ to be involved from the beginning and have her views and experiences as a carer listened to and understood.
We want to continue involving carers and making sure they have an equal voice in shaping policies and services, so we have launched CarersSpaceNotts, together with our partners Nottinghamshire Carer’s Association, the NHS and carers themselves.
Any carer can get involved, so visit the website to find out more.
Carers Week runs from June 6 to June 12.
Carers Week runs from June 6 to June 12.
If you are a carer, the Nottinghamshire Carers Hub can offer you personalized information and support to meet your individual needs.
If you know someone who is a carer, you could help by offering emotional support. For example, why not invite them round to your home, as a change of environment can make a huge difference.
One way of helping would be by offering or seeking respite for the carer. A couple of hours a week gives the carer some normality, something to look forward to and some time away from their caring role.
We shouldn’t underestimate the value of simply asking carers how they are and encourage them to get support from places such as their GP, the Carers’ Hub or condition-specific organisations.
Carers are naturally selfless people who put themselves last, so it’s important that they remember to look after their own health and wellbeing as well as others.
Caring for someone can feel like an incredibly lonely experience, but there is support available so please get in touch.