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Some
members may need personal care on a continual basis from another person
following stoma surgery (or indeed any other surgery), and this article is for
those who provide such care, whether they themselves have a stoma or not. In the
vast majority of cases within our own membership, the carer will probably be the
husband, wife, or other relative of the ostomist. In broad terms, if a person is looking after someone living in the community who
is either elderly or frail, or is disabled or has a physical or mental illness,
and who receives (or is eligible to receive) help from social services, that
person can ask for a ‘carer’s assessment’. The applicant should not be
receiving a wage for caring, and the caring itself must comprise personal care,
practical help, emotional support, or a combination of these. In addition, the
caring must be substantial, regular, and essential for the safety and physical
or emotional needs of the person being cared for. The care may be variable on a
daily or weekly basis, however the impact of the caring upon the applicant’s
life should be significant and continuous. If you apply for a carer’s assessment, you will be given the chance to discuss
your own needs as a carer with a social services or health worker. Naturally,
the person being cared for also has the right to have his or her needs assessed,
and this can be done at the same time or a at different time to the carer. You
can ask to be assessed by different social services or health workers if you
prefer, and it is possible to receive an assessment of your own needs as a carer
even if the person being cared for refuses help. When the assessment takes place, you can discuss what help you believe the
person you care for needs, what help you are providing at the moment, what you
would like to see happen in order for this help to continue, and what services
may be available either for yourself as carer or the person receiving care. You
can also ask about the cost of such services, and other help you may be entitled
to. For more information on carers’ assessments, you should contact your local
social services office, or if you would like a sample copy of the application
form, please send a s.a.e. to John Smail, ia welfare co-ordinator, whose address
appears in the directory section of this journal. Members may also be interested to know that from next October 28th, there will
be improvements to carer’s benefits. The main change will be to extend the
opportunity to claim invalid care allowance (ICA) to carers aged 65 and over
which at present it is impossible to do. You can in fact make an advance claim
now, although entitlement will not occur until the upper age limit is abolished
at the end of October. Bear in mind however that an award of ICA could be
overlapped by payment of retirement pension, so it will depend upon the amount
of pension you receive as to whether ICA will be paid.
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