Keep Carers Caring
Following the launch of our Keep Carer’s Caring campaign, we have listened to feedback from carers and developed priorities to improve the identification, involvement and support we can offer with the help of our partners, including Making Spaces Making Space | Carer support for adults living in Calderdale (for Calderdale residents) and Carers Count Carers Count Kirklees (for Kirklees residents).
We know that recognising and responding to your needs as a carer is vital. To improve this, we carry out regular training and have regular information stands at both hospital sites.
We also recognise that unpaid carers require support to be able to balance their own health and wellbeing needs alongside other responsibilities they may have. We are engaging with patients, carers and colleagues to develop a visiting policy which is least restrictive and supports unpaid carers with greater flexibility. If you would like to be involved, please see our contact details below.
We are also working with our Appointment Centre Team to identify opportunities to offer more flexibility with appointments, and our Chief Nurse Information Officer to ensure carers are able to update information into their own health record and that of those they care for (with the correct consent).
We welcome carers involvement in planning, shaping and delivering the care which carers provide for the person they support. We have facilities available to support carers to stay overnight and will happily provide light refreshments when carers are providing support within the hospital. We are working with our teams to embrace the West Yorkshire Hospital Discharge toolkit which will support carers to be specifically involved in discharge planning and arrangements.
We are thankful for all the support unpaid carers provide and welcome their involvement and feedback in shaping the way we develop and improve services. If you would like to be involved in developing a Carer’s Charter for the Calderdale and Kirklees area, please do get in touch with our Patient Experience Team at: PatientExperience@cht.nhs.uk or by phoning 07825 054 782. You can also get involved in our visiting policy review.
Between August and November we will be undertaking a feedback survey to better understand what we are doing well and where we could improve. Please keep your eyes open for the survey, and if you would like to be involved do contact the Patient Experience Team at PatientExperience@cht.nhs.uk or by phoning 07825 054 782.
For more information. please read our Keep Carers Caring leaflet - you can also read a plain text version below.
Keep Carers Caring leaflet - plain text
Here at Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust (CHFT) we understand how vital unpaid carers are to the health and wellbeing of their loved ones.
Carers UK defines an unpaid carer as anyone who cares, unpaid, for a friend or family member who due to illness, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction, and cannot cope without their support.
We train our teams at CHFT to help identify unpaid carers, so they can offer lanyards and identification cards, which help identify them to our wider staff. We have heard from carers that this can support them to be more easily involved (with consent / permission from the person being cared for) in their care and decisions about their care.
I am an unpaid carer. How can CHFT support me?
We want to support you as a carer in balancing your own health and wellbeing with your caring responsibilities. There is no expectation from us here are CHFT, but we will support you to visit outside of usual visiting times, and we have beds available if you want to stay overnight. Light refreshments (often a hot drink and sandwich) will be available when you are spending significant periods of time within our hospital.
We are committed to working in partnership with carers. This often means involvement in planning, shaping, and assisting with the care of the person being cared for. Whilst the carer lanyards do not automatically provide unlimited free parking, those who meet the car parking concession requirements can receive free parking. Please speak to the Nurse in Charge of the area for support with this. If you travel by other means, you may be able to receive support with other transport costs. Please see Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS) - NHS (www.nhs.uk) or visit the General Office within our hospital for support.
Other support for carers
We know that our partner agencies are the experts in supporting you to reach the wealth of resources available to support carers locally. This includes supporting you to with a carer’s assessment which is a chance to discuss your needs, and signpost you to a range of local services which can make a huge difference.
Making Space Calderdale
01422 369 101 or www.makingspace.co.uk
Carers Count Kirklees
0300 102 0231
Our colleagues at CHFT will be happy to help you make a referral. Please do not hesitate to ask if this is your preference.
We are thankful for the support unpaid carers provide. Should you require any further information, wish to provide feedback, or support us in developing or improving services for carers, we would really like to hear from you. Please email us at patientexperience@chft.nhs.uk or call 07825 054 782.
