Carer Support Service
Carers are people who look after a partner,
husband or wife, son or daughter, relative or friend
with a disability or illness. Many carers live with
the person they care for, but many look after
someone who lives independently, in supported
accommodation, in hospital, or in a residential or
nursing home. Carers are family members or friends
who look after someone without pay or financial
reward. They are sometimes known as 'informal'
carers.
Carers may be as young as 7 or 8
years, looking after a disabled parent or other
siblings. Or they can be older people themselves,
perhaps in their 80's looking after a partner or
friend of similar age. Anyone looking after a person
with an illness or disability, whatever their
situation, is considered a carer with equal rights
to help, support, information and services.
Key responsibilities of The Carer
Support Service:
To identify and reach carers
from within North West Rural Edinburgh.
To encourage carers to identify their own
needs.
To support existing group meetings and set up
new groups as and when a need is identified or
requested by carers.
To encourage carers to become involved in
relevant planning groups and forums.
To facilitate directly or indirectly learning
opportunities for carers identified needs.
To offer support to individual carers at a
time of particular crisis.
To make carers aware of any changes to
policies that may directly affect then, their
rights, benefits and entitlements and when
appropriate offer to support to complete
applications.
Group support:
Evening Carer Support Group meets on the first
Wednesday of each month, usually in Kirkliston
Bowling Club, from 7.30-9pm. This group has a varied
programme from invited speakers to 10-pin bowling.
See photo gallery.
Carer Drop-in meets of the last Wednesday of each
month at The Haven, from 2-4pm. This is an
opportunity to drop-in for a cuppa and a chat.
The Cool Club is a group for young people with
disabilities and their parents/carers. The
parents/carers supervise all activities undertaken
by Cool Club youngsters.
Regular activities include:-
Weekly fun session at The
Haven, 25b Burgess Road, on Wednesdays from
4-5pm
Fortnightly enjoy-a-ball sessions in The Scout
Hall, Port Edgar, on Fridays from 2.30-3.15pm.
This group also plan activities
during the school holidays. So far the group has
tried boating, skiing, bus trips to Blair Drummond
Safari Park and East Links Farm Park, trips to the
zoo and a trip on board the Forth Belle. Funding for
these activities has come from Edinburgh Safety
Partnership, local Enable and Forth Help a Child
Appeal.
|
