Carer’s Assessments are a way of identifying your needs as a carer. It looks at your role as a carer, how being a carer affects you, how much caring you can realistically do and any help you may need to fulfil this role.
A Guide to Carers Assessment- London Borough of Hillingdon
If you provide a regular and substantial amount of care for someone aged 18 or over, you can contact the Social Care Direct at London Borough of Hillingdon on 01895 556633 for a carer’s assessment.
The assessment is an opportunity for you to tell the social worker what impact caring has on you. It would be a good idea to make a list of everything you do in your caring role to look after the person you care for.
Some things you may want to think about are:
Time
How many hours a week do you provide care?
Do you help during the day or night, or both?
What type of help do you provide e.g. personal care (bathing, taking to toilet) cooking meals, shopping, laundry, housework, sorting their finances (their disability benefit, pensions)
Health
Do you feel that you do not have a choice about providing care?
Does the person you care for have any health problems you find hard to deal with?
Do you have any health problems? Are they made worse by your caring role?
Are you getting enough sleep?
Do you feel that you cannot carry on at all, or only if you reduce the amount of caring.
Do you feel you are suffering from stress or depression?
Work/Study
Do you work/study? If so, for how many hours a week?
Does your employer/tutor know that you are a carer – do they know about your rights, eg to time off in an emergency?
Are you able to manage to work/study as well as provide the care?
Housing
Do you live with the person you care for? Is the arrangement satisfactory?
Does the person you care for have any difficulties moving around the home? e.g climbing stairs, getting in & out of bath
Are you able to do this safely and without causing yourself any
pain or injury? Special equipment could make life easier for the person you look after and your caring easier.
Planning for emergencies
There should also be a discussion about planning for emergencies, eg to make sure the person you care for would be looked after if you were taken ill and had to go into hospital.
Make sure your Emergency Plan up to date.
It is important that you give all details about your caring role, about the care that you provide and how you feel about being a carer.
Once the problems with caring have been identified, you and the person carrying out the assessment can discuss what sort of help will make it easier for you to continue in your caring role plus make extra time for you to take a break, e.g any hobbies, leisure activities.
You can have a Carer’s Assessment even if the person you care for does not want to have a Community Care Assessment for the help that they need.
Your ‘Care Plan’
A Social Worker will develop a ‘care plan’ based on your care assessment and the community care assessment of the person you care for.
If your situation changes, for example you need more support, you can ask for a re-assessment.
Paying for services
After the assessment your local council will look at your income and capital (savings and property) to decide which care services – if any - you may be charged for.
Your right to an assessment, and to the services and support you may receive, is not linked to your income or capital.
If you are unhappy with your assessment
The Social Care Direct (01895 556633) at your local council will have a complaints system in place. If you are not happy with how the assessment was carried out, or you do not think you are getting the support and services you need, you should contact them.
