A carer is someone of any age who provides unpaid support to family or a friend who could not manage without this help. This could mean caring or someone who is ill or has mental health needs. Many people do not class themselves as carers: they are mums and dads, husbands, wives, partners, brothers, sisters, friends and neighbours.

• Caring in Kent and Medway
• Kent and Medway Carers Emergency Card
• Personal Health and Wellbeing Plan
• Find your local Carers Support
• National Information

Caring in Kent and Medway

Being a carer can be stressful and physically demanding. Both Kent and Medway recognise the vital role that carers fulfill.

In Kent you can find out about carers services are available to you by clicking here, or you can complete an online assessment of your caring needs by clicking here.

In Medway you can find out about carers services by clicking here.

Kent and Medway Carers Emergency Card

The Carers’ Emergency Card provides carers with peace of mind when they are away from the person they care for.  The card enables immediate access to pre-arranged planned care, giving the carer the peace of mind they need.

You can apply for a Kent or Medway Carers card by clicking here.

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Family and Carers Personal Health and Wellbeing Plan

The NHS Federation, National Mental Health Development Unit and the Centre for Mental Health have produced a Personal Health and Wellbeing Plan booklet for families and carers. It is important that, while caring for someone, you too remain well and healthy. The booklet is a way of drawing up a plan for how you can look after yourself while also caring for someone else. To download the plan, click here.

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Find Your Local Carers Support

Caring for someone with mental health needs can be extremely stressful, especially when the mental health of the cared for person is unpredictable. There is no need to feel isolated and alone in your caring role; there are specific organisations where you can get non-judgmental support from people who will have empathy with the situation you are in. To find your local carers support group click on the area of Kent or Medway where you live below:

East Kent – Click to expand »

Medway – Click to expand »

West Kent – Click to expand »

If you want to search for another Carers Service in Kent or Medway that isn’t listed above, click here.

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National Information

Carers Direct has a telephone help line for carers, they are available from 8am – 9pm Monday to Friday and 11am – 4pm at weekends. Calls are free from landlines and mobiles within the UK, telephone 0808 802 0202.

Carers Direct also have information and advice on caring available in 170 languages, to see their website click here.

The Princess Royal Trust for Carers has a lot of additional support and advice for carers, they even have a carers chat forum, for more information click here.

Carers UK is a comprehensive online resource to help support you in your caring role, click here for more information.

Carers Week have produced a free downloadable guide on all aspects of caring, to download this resource click here.

Carers UK have provided a free guide to carers rights and benefits, to access this information click here.

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