Sometimes carers might be referred to us for help with one aspect of their caring role and not realise just how else we can help them so here's a reminder of how we can help!
Fife Carers Centre supports unpaid and family carers over the age of 18 who live in Fife. (A separate organisation, Fife Young Carers, supports carers under the age of 18). Corers are not employed or paid to carry out their caring role. They can be caring for someone with any condition, disability, addiction or frailty that means they need support in some way with the activities of daily living and they do this without payment. Most carers are caring for a family member but they can also be caring for friends and neighbours.
What we do
- We offer one to one appointments with carer support workers to help identify the areas of life affected by the caring role and to talk over concerns, issues etc
- We work with carers to develop a Carer Support Plan that will help them to plan a way forward in their life taking account of their caring role and their own aspirations.
- We offer information on the welfare benefits that carers and those they care for may have an entitlement to and we offer assistance with making the application.
- We will also help people to complete the application forms for these benefits if they would find that help useful. In addition we'll help carers to find out if there are grants available if they are trying to pay for individual or specialist equipment etc.
- We run a befriending project that helps carers to build confidence and find ways of spending time outside of caring.
- We help carers to find out about the services that are available through the statutory organisations such as NHS and Social Work as well as other voluntary organisations such as Alzheimer Scotland.
- We will make suitable referrals or help carers to access the services available.
- We provide information to carers about a range of topics that will help them to manage their caring role with less impact on their physical, mental, emotional and financial health.
- We offer workshops for carers on a number of topics including Stress Reduction activities, Legal aspects of caring, Planning Dementia.
- We organise information conferences and events for carers.
- We offer relaxation therapies to carers (when we have funding for it!).
- We work with a number of carers groups around Fife that offer peer support.
- We deliver training for the NHS, Social Work and other organisations.
- We give information talks to interested groups such as Rotarians, Womens Guilds, Conditions support groups (ie MS, Parkinsons etc)
- We partner up with organisations to work towards ways of improving the support available to carers throughout their lifetime. For example we have worked with the hospitality and leisure industry in the Respitality project in which they gift accommodation, meals, experiences etc for carers in Fife known to Fife Carers Centre.
Everything we do is aimed at supporting unpaid and family carers in Fife.
Carer Support workers will meet carers for appointments in our centre in Kirkcaldy, at the carets home or that of the person they care for or somewhere else that's mutually convenient - Garden Centre cafes are always a popular choice!
Make a referral
Carers can be referred by anyone including themselves and they can do this by telephoning us on 01592 205472 or by completing the referral form on our website www.fifecarers.org so if you know a carer, or you are a carer, who could do with our help you can make a referral please get in touch. We ask that you have their permission to do so and we will also ask for some basic information to help us work out the best way forward to help the carer.
Please remember we are a carers support organisation so it must be the carer who is referred to us - not the cared for person.
The above information is from a Fife Carers Centre pamphlet I picked up at my Doctors practise