In last month's bulletin we were pleased to announce that Carers Trust were able to offer new interventions. We can now provide further detail into what that consists of and how it can support you and your loved one(s).

This additional carer support includes:

• Virtual day support will help carers to take a break and feel supported to carry on their caring role with an opportunity to participate in virtual day centre activities, connecting with other carers and reducing social isolation
• Carer Community Connection which aims to improve carers' mental and physical health by supporting carers to connect to the community by accessing and developing activities
• Digital inclusion for carers by enabling carers to access IT equipment with one-off direct payments, supporting carers to use IT and online platforms and by developing a range of courses to support carers
• Grief and loss support via a series of carer-focused workshops exploring the stages of loss and grief and advice on dealing with difficult emotions. We will also be offering carers self-care support which will enable them to cope in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic
• Supporting working carers, working with their employers and enabling employers to develop their support to carers which will empower carers to remain in the workforce
• Reducing carer hardship and poverty by providing information, advice and signposting to job coaches and financial advice. We will also be providing one-off direct payments to carers when they are experiencing financial hardship to ensure that practical difficulties can be addressed easily
• Enhancing support for BAME carers in Coventry by ensuring BAME communities are enabled to access carers services and information
• Supporting Young Carers if more support is required as a result of Covid-19, their caring responsibilities and returning to school

Alongside these new interventions they will continue to offer their virtual sessions.

For further information please contact our Wellbeing Team or call us on 024 7663 2972.

Are you a carer based in Coventry?

Would you like to cope better, feel more in control of your emotions and be more resilient?

It is important for carers to stay connected, even more so during this time of social isolation. We are offering a free online Hope Programme, a 6-week online group self-management programme for carers in Coventry to help you cope with life during lockdown - to feel more in control and more resilient.

Each week the course covers topics like: • managing stress • smarter goal setting • gratitude • character strengths • physical activity • eating well • coping with fatigue • practising mindfulness • communication and relationships

The course includes quizzes, worksheets, audio and video materials, interactive activities and social networking via email and forums. There will also be a live mindfulness session and opportunity for the group to come safely together online. You will be supported throughout by trained facilitators.

The course can be accessed from a PC, laptop, tablet or smartphone. The course is not delivered in a way for people to be on “at the same time”. You will have access to the course 24/7. It takes about 2 hours to go through the materials each week, but you can do this at your own pace and time that suits.

We delivered pilot courses with carers and many found the course helped them to feel better and improved their quality of life.

“I couldn’t believe how the simple things in life, like journaling, gratitude and goal setting could make such a huge difference to my health wealth, both mentally and physically. The HOPE Programme has given me some great life skills, a toolkit if you like, so I can confidently bring any challenges back from chaos to re-balancing and nurturing me”.

Start dates:  2 November 2020, 11 January 2021 and further dates in 2021.

If you’re interested or want to find out more about the programme book your place now.

Do you care for someone who has a learning disability? Have they had their annual health check?

People with a learning disability often have poorer physical and mental health than other people, but this does not need to be the case. Annual health checks are available for adults and young people aged 14 or over with a learning disability, provided by their GP practice. Anyone aged 14 or over who's on their GP's learning disability register can have a free annual health check once a year. These important checks help to detect health conditions, check any medication is still appropriate, give you a chance to ask questions about your health and get to know the staff at the practice. 

You can find out more about the checks from the “Annual Health Check Up Information Leaflet”. You can also use our easy-read letter template to request an annual health check from your GP practice. Both can be downloaded.

Grapevine have also produced an animation to explain the process of the annual health check. 

There is also useful information about the different health screening tests that you are entitled to, these range from cervical screening, breast screening, bowel screening and abdominal aortic aneurysm screening.  Accessing these tests can help to keep your loved one healthy and you can speak to your GP for further information. 

Please encourage the person you care for you attend their annual check and to “Check In, Check Up and Check Out” on their health. Why not call up and book today?

The Act On Energy service has been commissioned by Coventry City Council to reduce fuel poverty in Coventry and protect those who are most vulnerable to the health effects of living in cold homes.  Keeping warm is an important part of keeping well in the winter particularly for the very old or very young, and those with chronic illness affected by the cold, as more people get ill and may need to be admitted to hospital or see their GP.  It is particularly important during the COVID-19 pandemic that we keep our at risk communities safe and well at home.

The service provides:

• A specialist helpline offering support and advice on keeping warm and ways to help reduce your energy bills.
• Heating and insulation measures for the most vulnerable and will include the requirement for individuals to be dependent on benefits or on low incomes and have a health condition and/or disability that is exacerbated by living in a cold home such as boilers and heating system replacements. (these services are subject to eligibility and funding availability).
• Training for front-line health, social care and other professionals to give fuel poverty advice and how to refer vulnerable individuals and families on to the provider as appropriate

For further information please call Act on Energy on the Free phone Advice Line: 

0800 988 2881

The Care Companion study: evaluating the impact of an online resource on the wellbeing of unpaid carers

Summary:

With growing numbers of older people suffering from dementia, frailty and other conditions, unpaid carers such as family members, are playing an increasingly important role in society. Different ways of supporting carers are needed to help them cope with the challenges that caring involves.

Care Companion has been developed with carers to provide easy online access to the kind of information and support that carers would find most helpful. By asking a few questions about the particular condition and situation of the person being cared for, Care Companion is able to personalise the content it offers. It also has several other features including a diary for recording particular events and a mood monitor for keeping track of how the carer and the person who they look after is feeling.

With support from the NHS and local authorities in Coventry and Warwickshire, Care Companion has now been available to residents in this area for over a year. Care Companion could be made available to carers across the UK, but before this can be recommended there is a need to understand how it benefits carers.

Aims:

The research we are undertaking aims to understand how Care Companion is used by those involved in caring, how it affects carer wellbeing and whether it represents value-for-money to the NHS and Social Care.

Methods:

We will analyse data from Care Companion and describe how the various features are used and how this varies among different groups in the local population, for example by age or condition of the cared for person. We will also distribute questionnaires to assess how this is associated with carer well-being and quality of life. We will invite carers, and health and social care professionals to participate in surveys and interviews about their experience of Care Companion, and what improvements might be made.

Funder:

National Institute for Health Research, Research for Patient Benefit Programme.