xxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxx
Feature
© Unaihuiziphotography via Getty Images
© SolStock via Getty Images
How can AHPs help carers ?
Having recently been on placement with the Office for Health
Improvement and Disparities at the
Department of Health and Social Care , Hazel Jurd looks at some of the ways we can support the health and wellbeing of carers .
W hen we visit a patient in the community , or they visit us in a clinic or hospital setting , how often are they with someone who looks after them ?
Their carer may be helping for a few hours a week , or they may be with them up to 24 hours a day , every day . Carers are not always with the person they are caring for ; they may be attending their appointment with you for their own health . Either way , there is always an opportunity for us as allied health professionals to ask the right questions and check in with carers , choosing our moment and asking discretely if they need any support .
Carers do not only look after older people . Adults and children with physical disabilities , learning difficulties and mental health needs may often need extra help . These carers may be teenagers , working age adults , or older adults .
Caring for another person is associated with poverty , due to a lack of flexible employment opportunities for the carer . It can lead to poor mental health through social isolation and loneliness and a lack of time to complete meaningful activity .
40 OTnews December 2023