Support for unpaid carers in Camden
Are you one of the thousands of people in Camden looking after a family member or friend regularly?
We're here to support you in your caring role. As an unpaid carer in Camden, you can access lots of support right here.
Pop the kettle on ☕ and browse through the practical, emotional and financial support that we can access in Camden as a carer.
Kick-start with our Email Course
To kick-start your support from us, sign-up to our five-part email course, designed specifically to help carers like you in Camden.
Establish strong foundations to your care or double-check you have the essentials in place.
Connect with other carers
Community and support from other carers is at the heart of what we do. Connect with other carers on our virtual cuppas. Or if that is too big of a step, you're very welcome to join the Mobilise Hub, our free online space for unpaid carers.
Speak to someone
If you struggle to find time to talk to someone about your caring role our Carer Support Team are available from 9am to 10pm, seven-days a week. You’ll speak with another carer about the things that matter to you.
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Mini carers-assessment
Are you thinking about having a carers assessment? But wondering what benefit it will bring?
Take three minutes to tell us some simple information and we'll follow up with an email that includes a simple checklist of things to do next.
Book your free coaching session
Over 31% of carers have told us that taking a break is one of their top priorities.
If you are struggling to focus on yourself or perhaps have a challenge you need help with working through, our certified coach Suzanne is here to help you focus on the whole of you.
In our free four-part coaching sessions, which last 30 minutes, you'll be able to talk through the things that matter to you, at a time that suits you.
Working with a coach is a helpful way of stepping back and finding breathing space to take control of the things that can be changed, and letting go of the things that are not in your control.
"The difference it has made to me is major and I hope to continue to implement the changes to my life in order to be happy and helpful."
But before diving in, meet your Coach, Suzanne.
Discover what support is available in Camden
Whether you're new to caring or an old hand at it - welcome! We work closely with Camden Council and Camden Carers, to provide a range of free online support services for you.
Practical support for carers in Camden
Caring for someone can bring on a myriad of emotions and challenging obstacles. If you are new to caring, it may be helpful to familiarise yourself with the first steps to getting help and support with our caring role.
1. Register with Camden Carers
Registering as a carer can give us access to many financial, practical and emotional support. It saves us from having to repeat our situation to different people.
And ensures our GP also recognises our role as a carer.
To get started, simply register as a with Camden Carer.
2. Book a Carer's Assessment with Camden Carers
If you have completed our free mini Carer’s Assessment, you may feel pretty prepared for the real thing.
And if you have not, our mini Carer’s Assessment tool will prepare you for what to expect. In Camden, we can request a Carer’s Assessment with the Adult Social Care team, or Camden Carers.
Whichever one we choose, we can find out how to do that here.
3. Support services in Camden
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Age UK Camden - Offer support and services to older people.
- Camden Care Choices - Offers advice and information to unpaid carers in Camden.
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Working for Carers Project in Camden - Offers carers (over 25) in Camden move closer to employment. Support includes CV building, training opportunities and one on one advice.
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Centre 404 - Support for carers of children and adults with learning disabilities or autism.
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Support for Young Adult Carers in Camden - Supports young adult carers aged 18-25. With guidance on finances, advice on nutrition and wellbeing, and free counselling.
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Camden Parent/Carer Forum - where parents and carers of children with special needs and disabilities come together to voice and influence local and national carer services.
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Elfrida Rathbone Camden - provides support for parents and families as well as young disabled people.
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Wish Plus - Information on a range of warmth, income, safety and health services available to Camden residents. You can simply make a self-referral here.
- Camden Council - Get free and independent advice.
4. Emergency planning
If you are caring for someone vulnerable, you may find peace of mind from having an emergency plan in place. Just in case you find yourself unable to provide care for a while.
To make things easier, we’ve designed an emergency planning template. Helping you store all the important information, from emergency contacts to doses of medication or treatment in one place.
Set up your emergency plan today.
Emotional support for carers in Camden
Knowing that we are not alone in our caring journey can make us feel less lonely. Camden Carers Centre and Mobilise are here for you.
1. Carer support groups in Camden
For those of us in Camden who value in person chats, Camden Carers Centre are open and supporting carers. Do pop in.
2. Counselling in Camden
If we are over 55 and registered to a GP in Camden, Age UK Camden offers in person or over the phone counselling. Declutter your thoughts and chat about the things that are worrying you, be it from relationships, or coming to terms with a diagnosis.
For those of us facing a challenge that’s affecting our mental health, Mind in Camden provides a one to one support call service where we can chat things through. They also have an 18 month Phoenix Wellbeing and Recovery service, tailored specifically around our experiences.
3. Free coaching for unpaid carers in Camden
Here at Mobilise, we also offer our very own free four-week coaching programmes for unpaid carers in Camden.
If you’re struggling to focus on yourself or perhaps have a challenge you need help with working through our Carers Coach, Suzanne, is here to help you focus on the whole of you. Simply book your first coaching session today.
4. Join our online cuppas
On days where it’s too cold to step out, why not connect with carers by joining our cuppas on Zoom?
They’re 45 minutes and each cuppa will follow a different theme - just whichever cuppa takes your fancy.
Financial support for carers in Camden
As carers, there are some avenues to financial support.
We could start by getting in touch with Camden Carers for advice. They can also book your Carer’s Assessment for you. Which could lead to additional funding to support you, as well as advice on benefits.
Use our nifty eligibility checker tools and guides to help you prepare for what to expect.
Additional financial help for carers in Camden
Did you know that as a carer and resident of Camden, you are able to get a free consultation (visit to our home) to help you save money on energy bills?
Camden works in partnership with Green Doctors London to ensure those of us who are on lower incomes (less than £16,190) can pay for gas and electricity.
Find out more about Green Doctors London here.
Knowing which benefits we’re entitled to and how our carers’ centre can support us is helpful. But knowing where to go for advice on wider money struggles (such as rent or utility arrears, complaints, or debt) can give us a peace of mind when the situation arises.
We’ve summarised this all in our ‘advice and help with the cost of caring’ guide for you.
Respite and short breaks for carers in Camden
As carers, there are some avenues to financial support.
We could start by getting in touch with Camden Carers for advice. They can also book your Carer’s Assessment for you. Which could lead to additional funding to support you, as well as advice on benefits.
Use our nifty eligibility checker tools and guides to help you prepare for what to expect.
Additional financial help for carers in Camden
We all need to take a break from time to time.
Our first steps to this could be through booking our Carer’s Assessment with Camden Adult Social or Camden Carers.
For parent carers, Camden Family Link also offers short, planned breaks for young children aged 0-18 by matching them with a carer in their family home.
A Carer’s Assessment explores our individual caring situations. And helps us identify which areas of support we need - which includes taking a break.
In some cases, additional funding and extra support can come out of a Carer’s Assessment to help us arrange respite.
We can also find more about what national respite services are available in our Carers’ Guide to Respite. Or if we don’t know where to start, our blog on ‘first steps for getting help with support with our caring role’ may help.
Support for dementia carers in Camden
Often, those of us caring for someone with dementia feel increased isolation.
Connecting with those in the same boat as us and ‘get it’ can bring us some reassurance that we’re not going through this alone.
Here are some local support services in Camden for those dementia carers.
1. Age UK Camden
Offers carers and dementia patients in Camden support through dementia wellbeing plans, befriending services.
With the aim to ensure those we care for with dementia stay socially engaged.
2. In-home care for those with dementia
3. Help Guide
For those of us still coming to terms with the diagnosis, the Help Guide has a helpful article on Coping with an Alzheimer's or Dementia Diagnosis.
4. Book a free call
And remember, if you need a real person to talk to, you’re very welcome to book a free call with us to chat through your feelings with one of our Carer Coaches.
Palliative care support for carers in Camden
End of life care (which includes palliative care) may be something that some of us have anticipated. Or will at some point. But not many of us know where to start.
To make it easier for you, we’ve listed helpful organisations that specialise in palliative care. And most importantly, words of wisdom from carers who have been through it themselves.
Database of Hospices across the UK
End of life care and support for long term conditions.
Royal Trinity Hospice
End of life care supports carers with bereavement after the person we care for has passed away (if that person was known to palliative care services).
How to cope when our caring role has come to an end
Advice and wisdom from real carers themselves, thanks to Jill from Camden Carers for writing this piece.
Support for when the person we care dies
From emotional to practical support for ourselves, this piece was also built from collective input of carers themselves.
Bereavement support payments
In the UK, the Government provides financial support known as ‘Bereavement Support Payments’ for us, if our spouse has passed away within the last 21 months.
If it has been more than 21 months, we can simply get in touch to explore other support options available to us. Simply find out more about Bereavement Support Payments and eligibility here.
Remember, we’re also here to support you. It may help to speak this through with someone who gets it. And remember, if you would like a listening ear, or some advice from our Carers Coaches, simply book a free call at a time which suits you.