If you provide essential unpaid care and support to a person who needs this assistance because of a long term health need or disability, you may be eligible for support and help as a carer.
Please tell us if you provide care for a patient in our hospital or you expect to do so as a result of a new health condition. We will help you to organise some support before they come home.
Being a carer can be difficult as well as rewarding. You might have a lot of different feelings, such as sadness, anger, guilt, and loneliness. You may have to balance caring with other things, such as working and other relationships.
Becoming a carer can be a big change so it is important to look after your own well-being and health needs.
Staff in our hospital can provide you with a carers passport.
This means you are welcome to be involved in the care of the person you support as soon as they are admitted to hospital. The Carer’s Passport will allow you to:
Please discuss the carer’s passport with the Nurse in Charge of the ward and they will complete it with you.
If someone you care for is in hospital and you wish to continue providing care whilst they are here, please complete our carer’s agreement alongside the nursing staff on the ward.
For more details or to print off a Carer’s Agreement please click here.
John’s Campaign began in 2014 and is about making sure that hospitals welcome carers. We believe that individuals are their own best judges about who is essential for their emotional or practical well-being, and they should be asked and their wishes respected.
As carers, you are the experts in the person for whom you care and best outcomes are likely when we work in partnership with you.
As a John’s Campaign supporter, we value the input of informal carers (or family members). Everyone has a part to play in acute healthcare.
Social services can arrange for you to have a carer’s assessment if you request one. This may help you get practical support, if you qualify. This can include financial support, but you may also be able to claim Carer’s Allowance or Carer’s Credit, which protects your right to a state pension later in life.
If you are finding it hard to cope or worried about coping when your cared for person is discharged home, talk to someone about how you are feeling. You could talk to a friend, your GP or contact your local carers’ group. Here are some useful links:
Carers UK – www.carersuk.org, 020 7378 4999
Carers Direct – Carers Direct UK Helpline 0300 123 1053
Carers Trust – www.carers.org, 0300 772 9600
Kingston Carers’ Network, 020 3031 2757 or email at admin@kingstoncarers.org.uk.
Richmond Carers, 020 8867 2380 or email at info@richmondcarers.org
Anyone can be a carer, regardless of age, sex, sexuality, profession, or cultural background. Carers can be partners, family members, friends, or neighbours.
Recognising you are a carer or young carer can be an important step in getting the support you need. Becoming a carer can be sudden or it can be a gradual process.
What might you be helping with?
You may be sharing these responsibilities with family or friends, or you may be the main person providing care.
Phone: 0782340296
Email: khft.forgetmenot@nhs.net
Learning Disability Liaison Team
Telephone: 0208 934 6895 or dial 6895 from an internal phone
Email: khft.learningdisabilityteam@nhs.net
Carers Clinical Liaison Service (referral only service)
The service can help you to liaise with multi disciplinary teams within the hospital and will help you make a plan for going home from hospital.
Please ask your nurse or doctor to make a referral to the Carers’ Clinical Liaison Practitioner.
Feedback from carers:
“I was worried where I get the information about all the services – now I know who to contact.”
“I am a carer for an autistic teenager and there are certain challenges, but this will really help.”
Watch the short video below, created by Kingston Council, to hear Councillor Sue Ansari’s views on the Carers Clinical Liaison Service:
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