Supporting Carers in General Practice Dr Beth Rimmer – GP Champion for Carers Yorkshire Louella...

Supporting Carers in General Practice

Dr Beth Rimmer – GP Champion for Carers Yorkshire Louella Ramsden – Operations Manager,

Calderdale Carers Project, Halifax

Lynn Ward – Chief Officer, Calderdale Carers Project

Sue Walmsley – Calderdale Young Carers


Questions to answer:

• Who are carers?• What problems do carers face?• How can practices better identify and

support carers?


Who are carers?

“ Every day 6,000 people take on new caring responsibilities ”


A carer is a person of any age, adult or child, who provides unpaid support to a partner, child, relative or friend who couldn’t manage to live independently or whose health or wellbeing would deteriorate without this help.

This could be due to frailty, disability or serious health condition, mental ill health or substance abuse.


How many carers are there in your practice population?

2001 Census data shows about 1 in 10 people have carer responsibilities

Is anyone here a carer or been a carer?


2 to be caring for at

least 50 hours/week

3 or 4 to be caring for more than 20 hours/week

Amongst every 100 patients on your list you would expect 10 to be carers


Key Facts:• 12% of people are carers: 6% care for someone living in the same

home and 6% care for someone living elsewhere1

• 42% of carers are men; 58% women

• Around 1 million carers are children

• 1.2 million care for over 50 hours a week2

• 13 million people can expect to become carers in the next decade3

• Carers save the government up to £119 billion a year in care costs4

1 NHS Information Centre, 2011 2 UK Census 2001 3 HAS/The Princess Royal Trust for Carers research 2001

4 University of Leeds/Carers UK, 2011


What problems do carers face?

Group activity: in small groups using the case studies think about the problems faced by carers


What are the effects of caring on carers?

Caring can be very rewarding but...


Adverse effects on physical health

Adverse effects on physical health

Employment restrictions &

financial problems

Employment restrictions &

financial problems

Adverse effects on mental health

Adverse effects on mental health

Restriction of social activities &

networks

Restriction of social activities &

networks

CARER

CARER

What are the effects of caring on carers?


Carers have increased all cause mortality5

Of carers caring for >50 hours a week: 1 in 3 report depression 1 in 2 report disturbed sleep 1 in 4 report back and other strains6

40% have significant stress levels7

3 in every 4 carers are worse off financially as a result of caring8

• 5 Schulz & Beach (1999)

• 6 National Statistics. (2003)

• 7 Pinquart & Sorensen (2003)

• 8Carers UK (2007)


Carers neglect their own health

Possible reasons include:

Being unable to leave the home for

appointments

Fear of no longer being allowed to care

Inability to undergo treatment due to

caring responsibilities

Focus on the cared-for’s health needs and neglect their own


What about young carers?

A young carer is under the age of 18, carries out significant caring tasks and assumes a level of responsibility for another person that is inappropriate for his or her age.

Problems:

Stress, tiredness and mental ill-health

Traumatic life events

Underachievement at school

Bullying, self-harm

Social isolation

Supporting Carers in General PracticeMost young carers receive no help during their childhoods due to:

Lack of recognition of the child’s caring role

Fear of being bullied

Families being wary of services


Calderdale Young Carers

Sue Walmsley


Local facts & figures about Carers in Calderdale

Louella Ramsden – Operations Manager, Calderdale Carers Project,

Halifax


Tea Break


What is our role in primary care?

QOF Management 9 :• Carer register• Referral for carers assessment

Supporting Carers in General PracticeWhy is support of Carers important?

Early identification & support of carers helps prevent future problems.

• Improves carers’ own health• Better support of carers enables them to care better

and longer• Helps prevent breakdown of the care situation and

emergency admission of the cared for person


Challenges for practices:

• How can we improve identification of carers?

• How can we look after carers better?


Better identification of carers :• New patient questionnaire• Chronic Disease templates• Notices in waiting room, patient newsletter, on

RHS prescriptions, website• Involve whole practice team – DNs, PNs etc• ? Carer lead• Coding! Remember to remove as well as add

carers!


How can Primary Care support carers better?

Priority issues for Carers (Data from Harrogate & Craven Carers’ Resource – Top 10 needs of 2360 carers supported in general practices in Airedale)

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Time off

Personal care

Finance

Other professional

Holidays

Health of carer

Benefits

Personalised information

Health of person cared for

Listening/emotional support



• Recognise their role• Carer health checks – physical & mental

health, flu jabs• Flexibility of appointments• Involving carers as partners in care of the

cared for person – confidentiality issues



• Signposting to Carer Support Services • Emergency planning• Carer lead in the practice• Practice Carer Group


The Calderdale Carers Project

Louella Ramsden, Operations Manager


CALDERDALE CARERS PROJECT - 01422 369101

CALDERDALE CARERS PROJECT - 01422 369101

A listening earA listening ear

Advice on benefitsAdvice on benefits

Emergency back-up planning

Emergency back-up planning

Carer support groupsCarer support groups

Information libraryInformation library

Consultation & EngagementConsultation & Engagement Case

WorkingCase Working

Activities & eventsActivities & events

Carer Small Grants

Carer Small Grants

Helping Hands SessionsHelping Hands Sessions

“Looking After Me” self management courses

“Looking After Me” self management courses

Carers Needs AssessmentsCarers Needs Assessments

Home visitingHome visiting


Cases for the Team?


Any questions?


5 key messages:• Just listen!• Think of depression• Ask about finances• Signpost to services• Plan for emergencies


Thank you


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Supporting Carers in General Practice Dr Beth Rimmer – GP Champion for Carers Yorkshire Louella...

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