Carers
A carer is someone, who, without payment, provides help and support to a partner, child, relative, friend or neighbour, who could not manage without their help. This could be due to age, physical or mental illness, addiction or disability.
A young carer is a child or young person under the age of 18 carrying out significant caring tasks and assuming a level of responsibility for another person, which would normally be taken by an adult.
Anyone can become a carer; carers come from all walks of life, all cultures and can be of any age.
Many carers do not consider themselves to be a carer, they are just looking after their mother, son, or best friend, just getting on with it and doing what anyone else would in the same situation.
NHS Islington is supporting a number of services for carers, in partnership with Islington Council, aimed at helping carers to maintain their own health, and supporting them in their caring role. One of these is the NHS Islington Carers Breaks Fund.
NHS Islington Carers Breaks Fund
This fund is for people who care for an Islington resident who themselves have a health condition, whether it be stress related, depression or a physical problem such as a back injury.
Carers can apply for up to £600 (depending on circumstances) to spend flexibly to support their own health.
The fund is administered on behalf of NHS Islington by the Islington Carers Centre. To apply for the scheme, carers need to complete the application form and send it in to the Islington Carers Centre, along with an endorsement from a health professional. This could be a GP, District Nurse, OT or any other health professional.
Contact us
For more information on the services and support available to carers in Islington, please call 020 7527 8152 or visit the Islington Council website www.islington.gov.uk/carers
Links
