You may not think of yourself as a carer, but anybody who helps a friend or relative with necessary care and support needs, even without pay for their services, is a carer. 

Reasons for caring vary widely, but a carer may be giving support to:

• A person with a disability or learning difficulty
• Someone who has mental health illness
• Someone recovering from a recent illness or injury
• Someone with a long-term illness.
• A person with age-related difficulties
• A person whose condition or disability may have brought them into contact with the criminal justice system or secure services (to read more about forensic carers, take a look at the NHS toolkit)

Supporting someone can take many forms, including:

• Emotional support: listening and talking
• Household chores: cleaning, cooking, washing, ironing or shopping
• Medication support: picking up medication, reminding about medication or physically helping someone with tablets or creams
• Personal care: eating, getting to the toilet, washing and dressing
• Physical care: mobility support around their home
• Caring at a distance: providing support and contact to someone in secure services

As a carer you may be entitled to receive some support, and a carer's assessment will help to identify your needs. Shropshire Council are committed to supporting informal carers and recognise and value the contribution they make. We encourage carers to book themselves a Let’s Talk Local appointment (follow the link to find out more about the sessions) in order to explore their caring role and the impact this has on their health, wellbeing and quality of life.

For more information about the plans and developments for carers in Shropshire, please read our 'All Age Carer Strategy 2022-2027'.

What support is available for carers?

Carers are eligible for funded support in their own right. The national eligibility threshold for carers is also set out in the Care and Support (Eligibility Criteria) Regulations 2014. The threshold is based on the carers needs which arise as a consequence of providing necessary care to an adult, and on whether they're able to achieve specific outcomes, and as a consequence of the two whether there is or will be significant impact on their wellbeing.

What can you do to remain well?

Ensuring you remain fit and well so you can continue in your caring role is vital. There are various organisations which can support you to achieve this, along with ensuring you have regular health check ups, stay fit and active and remain independent yourself.

Shropshire Carers Support – contact Shropshire Carers on 01743 341995 or email: Shropshire.Carers@shropshire.gov.uk