Carers – Help and Support

Who is a Carer?

A carer is anyone who cares, unpaid, for another person - usually a family member or friend who due to physical or mental illness, disability, frailty or addiction could not always manage without this support. This is not the same as someone who provides care professionally or through a voluntary organisation. 

This includes parent carers as well as children and young people with caring responsibilities. 

Involving You in Your Loved One's Stay in Hospital

We appreciate that families, friends and neighbours have an important role in meeting the care needs of many of our patients, both before they are admitted to hospital and after they have been discharged. 

We want to make sure that, if you look after someone, you are involved during their stay in hospital, and in planning their discharge. 

If you're visiting hospital, please let one of the nursing staff know that you are a carer, and we will do all we can to support you and the person you care for. 

Young Carers

You're a young carer if you're under 18 and help to look after a relative with a disability, illness, mental health condition, or drug or alcohol problem. If you're a young carer, you probably look after one of your parents or care for a brother or sister. We will ask you if you are a young carer. If we don't, please let us know and we will advise you where to get help and support. 

If you are a young carer and want to talk to someone, you can speak to any member of the ward team.  You can also contact our PALS team by emailing sft.carersupport@nhs.net or by calling 01722 429044. 

You can also contact Carer Support Wiltshire on 0800 181 4118 or visit the Carer Support Wiltshire website. 

Parent Carers 

If you are a parent, or another adult with parental responsibilities, who cares for a child or young person who requires more care and support than other children or young people of the same age you are a parent carer and can access services and support. 

Carers In The Armed Forces 

Looking after someone with a serious disability or illness can be challenging at the best of times. When you are serving in the Armed Forces or are a service family if can be even more so. 

You could be posted many miles away from your usual support networks and, as a military spouse, you may have to be coping on your own while your partner is posted elsewhere. 

Courage to Care is a service provided by Carer Support Wiltshire, designed specifically to help support Armed Forces personnel and their families in Wiltshire looking after someone who couldn’t manage without them. That could be an older parent with dementia, an autistic child or a partner with mental health issues. 

You can access our services in several ways: 

• Let your GP/medical centre know you are in a caring role and they can refer you to us 

• Contact Carer Support Wiltshire on 0800 181 4118 find out more about Courage to Care on their website. 

• For more information on how the hospital can support you check out our Veterans pages: ? possible to insert a link to: Our Armed Forces Champions and how they can support you (salisbury.nhs.uk)   

Support for Carers Visiting Salisbury Foundation Trust 

Carers Passport 

Please ask any member of our nursing staff about our Carers Passport, and they will be able to issue you with one. 

The card provides access to a range of benefits including discounted parking and refreshments. 

Carer Café 

We hold a Carer Café, every Thursday, 2.30pm-4.00pm, in Springs Restaurant located on Level 2 of the hospital. 

All are welcome to join us for a cup of tea and a chat. 

There are Volunteers available to offer you any information or support which will help you in your caring role. 

Carers Cafe Flyer

John’s Campaign 

We support carers to have open access to visiting, and also to stay with patients who have enhanced needs and require extra support. 

www.johnscampaign.org.uk  

Support for carers who are admitted to hospital

If you are a carer and are admitted to hospital yourself, it is important that you make hospital staff aware of your caring responsibilities so that there will be support while you are in hospital and once you are discharged home. 

If you’d like more information or have any questions, you can contact our Carers Support inbox sft.carersupport@nhs.net or call 01722 429044. 

Further Help and Support for Carers

Looking after yourself 

The role of a carer can be stressful and it is important to remember your own health needs. If you are worried about your health talk to your GP. Make sure you are registered as a carer at your GP practice. 

You can get more information on caring for yourself from the NHS website. 

The NHS Practical Guide to Healthy Caring may help you if you have caring responsibilities.  It is written to be particularly relevant for those who are aged 65 years or older and are new to caring. 

Carers Together Wiltshire also provides lots of guidance and can offer support for your caring role. 

To ensure that hospital services are developed to support carers with their caring responsibility, we work in close partnership with Carers Together Wiltshire. They can be contacted during office hours on 01380 710300 or email enquiries@carerstogetherwiltshire.org.uk 

This charity runs free services for carers across Wiltshire including: 

• Advice and information on your caring role 

• Drop-in support groups and carer cafés 

• Carers Emergency Card 

• Carer activities and breaks 

• Training and practical skills workshops to help you care 

• Carer talk and support service 

• Carer Assessments 

• Working Carers 

There are also many other agencies who can help carers with their caring role - please see below: