Are you caring for someone who has suffered a head or brain injury?
A carer is someone who looks after and supports someone else who could not manage for themselves fully without that help. Whilst carers can be paid a wage for their work, many thousands of people in the UK who have suffered a serious head or brain injury are supported by friends, relatives and neighbours who provide help without any payment.
If you are caring for someone with a head injury, it is important that you are aware of the rights that you have, and the benefits that you are entitled to. By being aware of your rights and accessing all of the benefits that you can, you may be able to ease a stressful situation in which you are juggling a number of demands - family, friends, finances, work, housework, study and social activities for example.
Above all, caring for somebody with a head injury can be very challenging - brain injuries can affect all aspects of a person’s life including their behaviour, social skills and even their relations with those closest too them. Carers can find useful information to learn more about brain injury from publications available in the UK for example those produced by Headway - the Brain Injury Association and from any locally based carer’s support groups.
On the pages listed below we have highlighted the main rights and benefits available to carers in the UK. It is important to always take advice if you encounter any difficulties with your rights and benefits, and we have included at the end a list of links for further help and information.
Practical Help
Depending on what you need to help you, it may help to consider the following:
- Your GP can assist by providing referrals to social services or counselling services
- Asking for help from family and friends. Some carers find it difficult to ask for help, but it is important that you are not overloaded to the point where things cannot continue
- See whether there are any local care groups or short term Council services available in your area which are designed to give you a break, for example, day or night sitting, day centres or short stays in care homes
- Charities - Carers UK runs advice days and provides free guides which you can download or call to ask for a copy;
- You can download the forms to apply for assessments and benefits at http://www.direct.gov.uk/ or call into your local Job Centre Plus;
- You can obtain free, confidential advice regarding any aspect of being a carer from the NHS Carers Direct advice line on 0808 802 0202
- If you left your career to be a carer and would like to retrain because your caring role is reducing or coming to an end, your local Council can assist with learning options.
Helpful links
For further information, you may find the following useful:
Related information