When you care for someone you may come across a lot of professionals from different places. Although it can be quite daunting at first, it helps to have an understanding of the role each professional plays and how they can support you and the person you care for.
Advocacy caseworker - is someone who supports you to speak up and express your views and opinions. This could include contacting agencies by phone or letter, support at meetings and explaining information.
Highland Carers Advocacy provide advocacy to carers.
Care homes - All residential and nursing homes are now referred to as care homes and details of local establishments can be provided by Connecting Carers.
Carer liaison workers - Connecting Carers have Carer Liaison Workers in localities across Highland to make connections with carers and visit them to discuss the support they need. We use a Carers Support Plan, which focuses on carers setting their own priorities. Carer Liaison Workers can also provide information, signposting and funding.
Community psychiatric nurse - When someone in the family has a mental health condition (e.g. depression or schizophrenia) or dementia, CPNs can offer support to the individual with the condition, and their family. CPNs can often form part of someone’s discharge plan following a hospital stay and can visit people in their own home.
Continence nurse/advisors -They provide information and advice about managing bowel and bladder problems. In the first instance, you should speak to your practice nurse at the health centre for initial advice.
Community nurse -They can visit people in their own home and offer help and advice on the practical and medical aspects of caring, such as physical care, medication, dressings.
Dementia link worker - They are allocated to people who have had a diagnosis of dementia, they offer support and signposting for the first year after diagnosis. The benefit is that you will then be linked in with all the relevant services and information you need going forward.
General Practitioner - are well placed to identify carers and alert them to sources of help and advice.
Health visitors - are based within the community and visit mums and babies in their own homes, up to the age of five.
Homecare workers (sometimes referred to as carers) can come into your home for a few hours each week to help with tasks such as cooking, feeding, bathing, shopping, dressing and collecting pensions or prescriptions. Homecare can be provided by the NHS or through voluntary sector and independent providers.
Mental Health Officer (MHO) - are Social Workers with special experience and training in the area of mental health conditions and mental health law. They carry out duties under the Mental Health Care and Treatment (Scotland) Act 2003. MHOs may be involved in assessments concerning a person’s need to be admitted to hospital for treatment, or to be the subject of a guardianship order. They may also be involved in offering support and advice to individuals and families in matters of mental health and mental impairment and can provide details of resources in the local community.
Named Person - is nominated by a person experiencing a mental health condition. Named Person is also the name given to the professional who has responsibility for children as they grow.
Occupational Therapist (OT) -work with the Health and Social Care teams and aim to enable individuals with long term and/or complex needs to live a full and independent life within the limits of their physical and social circumstances. They can provide advice and support relating to illness or disability, advice on housing or major adaptions, provision of small pieces of equipment and minor adaptations, referral to other services that are required and rehabilitation in activities of daily living such as washing, dressing, meal preparation, etc.
Physiotherapists - will work with people to help them regain lost movement, improve mobility, and maintain safe independence in such activities as using the stairs.
Practice nurses - will provide care in the GP’s surgery or health centre with matters such as injections and dressings. They also provide chronic disease clinics.
Pre-School teaching service staff - offer home teaching for preschool children with special needs.
Service provider - is an organisation that provides a service to people with disabilities (sometimes referred to as service users).
Social workers - can advise on all sorts of personal and practical issues. They can arrange services such as respite care, sitter services, or a day centre place for the person you care for. Social Workers can be contacted directly or you can call: NHS Highland, for adult services on 01463 704000; or The Highland Council, for children’s services on 01463 702000.
Speech and language therapist - work with adults and children, offering information and advice on communication, speech, etc. and/or eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties.
Support worker—assists people with disabilities or mental ill health to get out and about while maintaining their independence. They can assist with shopping, going for a walk or a coffee, or getting to an appointment, when a person is isolated or needs supervision to maximise their potential.
Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) - is responsible for administering and regulating the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000 which deals with Powers of Attorney and Guardianship.
Voluntary sector/third sector - This is the term used to refer to the wide range of services provided by voluntary or charitable organisations.
Some of the health and social care services available within the community are provided by the voluntary/third sector e.g.:
Information and advice |
Support groups
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Sitter and respite services
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Day care
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Lunch clubs
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Advocacy
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Training for carers
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Specialist condition-specific support Some of these services are free, others are not.
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Changing the person you deal with or making a complaint - Sometimes it is possible to request an alternative professional if you are not satisfied with the support you’re receiving. If you want to make a formal complaint about the service you can call Connecting Carers for more information on the number below.
If you would like more information on any of our services or just a chat call our Carer Support Line on 01463 723560 or email us on carers@connectingcarers.org.uk