HEALTH AND CARE: Building carer friendly communities

This week we want to talk about an incredible group of people within our community, who often go about their job tirelessly and without recognition '“ family and friends carers.

Monday is the start of Carers Week 2016 and we are all being asked to help build carer friendly communities.

In West Sussex there are over 84,000 unpaid carers who are looking after family members or friends and that number will continue to grow.

One in eight people across the county is an unpaid carer and often don’t identify themselves as a carer because firstly they are a mother, father, husband, wife, daughter, son or friend.

Care may be needed for a whole range of reasons – a person may be disabled or have a long-term health condition, they may be older and frail and a carer’s role can differ greatly from one person to another.

When you are caring for someone it can be difficult to consider your own needs and this can have an impact on the carer’s health and wellbeing which can deteriorate over time and have a devastating impact on both the carer and the person they are caring for.

Across West Sussex the NHS is working in partnership with the county council and Carers Support West Sussex to encourage people who may be looking after a family member or friend to find out more about the range of services that are available to them.