East Sussex carers could be missing out on their rights and support

Carers Rights Day is next Thursday 21st November

Care for the Carers, the East Sussex carers centre, is encouraging all carers to understand their rights as part of Carers Rights Day on Thursday 21st November.   

A carer is anyone who looks after someone who couldn’t manage without their help. You could be a friend, family member or neighbour who due to illness, disability, mental ill health, or an addiction could not cope without your support. Two out of three of us will become a carer at some point in our lives. It can happen at any time, to anyone, can take many different forms, and it can have a huge impact on a person’s life.   

Over half (55%) of unpaid carers looking after a family member or friend take a year or more to realise they are caring. Over a third take over three years to recognise their caring role*, and as a result, 46% miss out on essential financial support and 36% on practical support**. This can include key statutory rights such as flexible working, being identified as a carer by your GP, the right to a Carers Assessment, and being consulted on hospital discharge. 

There are thousands of carers in the county who could be missing out on these rights because they don’t know they are available to them.

If someone who is cared for is being discharged from hospital, the hospital must identify and consult with the person's carer, where possible.  The reality is that carers are often overlooked in the hospital setting. A carer knowing that they have the right to be consulted could help to ensure that the discharge is safe for both the cared for person and the carer.     

Kerry lives in Eastbourne and cares for her mum. Her mum had recently been diagnosed with dementia when she had a fall and was admitted to hospital for an operation. Two days later Kerry got the call to come and collect her as she was being discharged. Kerry was concerned that this was too soon, as her mum was living independently at that time.   

“I’m not a doctor, so I assumed that things were going as they should, although I was worried about Mum being able to manage on her own. I had not been told what to expect or what to look out for. Then that night Mum fell when she got up and became unconscious. The ambulance arrived quickly, and the paramedics were amazing.” 

Kerry’s mum was in hospital for two weeks following her fall the night she was discharged. 

 “When it came to Mum being discharged the second time, I said to myself ‘I’m not having this happen again’, so I dug my heels in and said she is not going home. She would have said she was fine to go home, but this way I had time to get things in place first. If only I’d had the chance to speak to the hospital staff after her operation, and they had listened to my concerns about her health and living situation, things may have been very different.” 

The East Sussex Hospital Project at Care for the Carers can provide advice and support that can help carers to speak to hospital staff and be aware of their rights. This can help to make discharge safe for the carer and the person they care for.   

Jennifer Twist, Chief Executive of Care for the Carers says: “You may be new to caring for someone or may have been a carer for years – we are here to offer support to everyone. We want carers to know that they are not alone, that they have rights and that there is help available. On 21st November we are asking everyone in East Sussex to help raise awareness of Carers Rights Day and spread the word, so that no one is left to care alone.”   

 If you care for someone who could not manage without your help, find out about the support available to you, and your rights as a carer. Call Care for the Carers on 01323 732390 or visit www.cftc.org.uk.