so i have attemeted to do my first assement would welcome views. i know the spelling ect is messy but its a draft ???
WHY CAN IT BE DIFFICULT TO DECIDE WEATHER SOMONE IS A CARER AND DOES IT MATTER ?
It is important for someone to be recognised as a carer for things like financial help and to make sure they get the support that is open to carers that may not be available to everyone. This is relating to my mother Caroline that helps care for my nan Liz since a stroke that left her wheelchair bound and unable to use left arm and leg .
To be able to get recognised as a OFFICIAL carer and get carers allowance the government have decided you need to fit into a tight criteria. This is as follows..
be caring for someone for at least 35 hours per week .
Be over 16 and not a student
caring for someone who is formally disabled
not earning more then 96 pound a week
Caroline helps Liz every Tuesday and Thursday of each week . Helping to bath wash dress Liz as well as doing the house hold things shopping and gardening . This roughly works out as 15 hours a week that she cares for Liz.
It can be difficult for Caroline to label herself as a carer as to her the word is a job tital and she just sees herself most the time as a daughter . Saying this she also recognises that some things like washing bathing and dressing Liz is a role of a carer . When Caroline has to go things like organise finances and when she had to make all arrangements to get the house adapted for when Liz came out of hospital. Making sure that she was getting the right benefits and blue badge . She was very much in the mind set of her carer in order to get the jobs done correctly. Yet when it comes to making her lunch keeping her company and getting her shopping Caroline sees this as what any daughter would do for there mother .
Liz also has three other daughters a son and granddaughter that contribute to her care . Each coming on a different day to help with anything she needs help with . One daughter regularly takes her out on trips for change of scenery . Others just help with whatever needs to be done on that day weather its as simple as running hover thou house to bathing or going to the shop as she cant get wheelchair out of house that day to arranging and taking her to hospital appointments she has. Her granddaughter goes in once a week in the evening to give her company and to help her get ready for bed.
This network is worked out so that someone will always pop in at least once a day to help.
Due to Liz’s disability it is hard for her to return the favour of the help she gets . So instead often takes her daughters out for a meal to local place to thank them for there help and to show her application .
So after looking thou it all . Although Caroline is a carer for Liz because she has the huge network of help and support within the family thou help her and Liz . Caroline does not fall under the criteria to be reconsigned a official carer . I feel more needs to be done to recognise that Caroline and the others to care for Liz are carers and if all there hours were added together would be well over the 35 . care is shared between them all so that they can each still tend to there family and work . This relives the pressure on Caroline to be under pressure and financial struggle of being a sole carer .
The care that is provided by Caroline and her family is huge and in turn saves the gov. a lot of money yet because it is a joint effort they are not recognised enough to warrant carers allowance.
604 ish
Excellent. I think you've made all your points very clear. Yeh spelling needs checking 