This Carer’s Assessment advice comes from one of our community members, Jo Ferguson. Jo has helpfully pulled together tips for going through the Carer’s Assessment based on her own experience. Jo recently organised a meetup for Yorkshire carents which we were lucky enough to drop into to meet them and some other members of our community. If you’d like to contribute to carents.co.uk, get in touch!
Undertaking a Carer’s Assessment can help to ensure you receive the support you need. It’s vital to include every task you manage, no matter how small it may seem. Over time, your responsibilities can add up, often blurring into what feels like normal ‘family support’. But these tasks are crucial and should be recognised during your Carer’s Assessment.
Here’s a list of activities you might be involved in as a carer:
- Shopping: This can range from buying groceries to hunting down specific personal items.
- Transport: Whether it’s driving to appointments, social outings, or arranging taxi services.
- Banking and Finance: Managing accounts, investments, and ensuring cash is available, sometimes through joint accounts or power of attorney.
- Meal Preparation: From cooking meals in advance to sorting through the pantry for expired items.
- Housework: Regular chores such as cleaning, laundry, and maintenance, as well as ad-hoc tasks.
- Gardening: Including routine upkeep and organising trips to the garden centre.
- Appointments: Scheduling and managing visits to various health professionals and personal care services.
- Laundry and Clothing Care: Washing, ironing, mending clothes, and polishing shoes.
- Entertainment: Finding and organising suitable activities, which can be more time-consuming than it appears.
- Home Maintenance: DIY projects or liaising with contractors for repairs.
- Waste Management: Ensuring bins are out on the correct days and sorting waste appropriately.
- Medication: Ordering prescriptions and organising weekly medication boxes.
- Administrative Tasks: Handling utilities, council tax, and other household admin.
- Emotional Support: Providing a listening ear and comfort.
- Technical Support: Helping with computers, phones, TVs, and other gadgets.
- Communication: Keeping friends and family updated on important events and health issues.
Often, carents dismiss these responsibilities as merely ‘helping out’, but it’s important to acknowledge the full scope of your contributions in a Carer’s Assessment.
By thoroughly detailing your responsibilities, a Carer’s Assessment can more accurately reflect the support you need, ensuring you receive appropriate help and resources.