If you are over 18 and look after another adult, who is disabled, long-term sick, elderly or has an addiction or mental health issue you have the legal right to a Carers’ Assessment.
There are also assessments for Parents Carers and Young Carers.
What is a Carers’ Assessment?
The Carers’ Assessment is your opportunity to explain how caring affects your life and to explore what could make your life as a carer easier.
It is not an assessment of your ability to care or your finances.
The Carers’ Assessment should consider:
- your caring role and how it impacts on your life
- whether you are willing and able to continue caring
- whether you are working, training or in education or wish to do so
- what resources or support you can access from the wider community
- how the provision of support would enable you to achieve the desired outcomes in your day-to-day life.
Can I get a Carers Assessment?
Any adult caring for another adult is entitled to an assessment:
- It doesn’t matter what sort of support you provide.
- It doesn’t matter if you are in paid work or not.
- It doesn’t matter if you live with the person you care for, or not.
- It doesn’t matter if the person you care for does not want to be assessed.
- It doesn’t matter if the person you care for receives support from Merton Council, or not.
- It doesn’t matter if you share caring responsibilities with one or more other people (you will all be entitled to an assessment).
Where can I get a Carers’ Assessment?
Carers Support Merton will complete non-urgent Carers’ Assessments.
If you are not in touch with Carers Support Merton, please complete our self-referral form (link), and we will contact you with more information.
If the person you care for has a social worker, or your case is complex, such as moving from children’s to adult services, the assessment will be carried out by Merton Adult Social Care. If you are caring for someone experiencing mental ill health an adult mental health professional may also carry out your Carers Assessment.
How can I prepare for my Carers’ Assessment?
In the weeks before your assessment, it can help to make a note of:
- How your physical and/or mental health are affected.
- Whether your sleep is disturbed.
- How often do you get time for yourself to relax or do things you enjoy.
- Whether your relationships with friends and family have been affected.
- How your caring role has impacted on employment, education and social opportunities.
- Whether you have a plan in case of an emergency.
- Anything you think would make your life as a Carer easier.
We have produced a Carers Diary to help you, which you can download as an MS Word document or a PDF file.
