You are invited to join us for breakfast at the Carers Centre on Friday 16 October at 10 am to take part in ‘Britain’s Best Breakfast’, a national fundraising campaign organised by Carers Trust to raise money to help support carers and raise awareness of the role they play. Carers, their friends and family and members of the general public are invited to join us for a fun breakfast and make a donation of £2. More information can be downloaded here.
Respitality Bungalow Now Available for Breaks for Carers
A beautiful bungalow in Perthshire has been offered for the use of carers as part of the Respitality project. Carers in the Falkirk area are invited to get in touch if they might be interested in booking a week in this pretty one-bedroom bungalow (below) which sleeps 2 people, initially in the period from November 2015 to January 2016. The bungalow is in Pitlochry and can be booked for periods up to one week at a charge of around £50/60 per week to cover servicing and cleaning. If you are a carer living in the Falkirk area and would like to find out more about the Bungalow and this offer, please get in touch with Sharon Campbell at the Carers Centre.
The purpose of Respitality is to give unpaid carers a break from their caring responsibilities so they can have some time for themselves to ‘recharge’ their batteries. This is achieved through the generosity and support of local hospitality providers who gift a Respitality break in the form of, for example, an overnight stay in their hotel, or a dinner for two, or a complimentary pass to their leisure club. More about Respitality here
Fronto-Temporal Dementia Carers Group
The Falkirk Fronto-Temporal Dementia Carers Group is being set up to provide help and advice to carers and relatives of people with Fronto-Temporal Dementia.
At the moment, most support groups available in Falkirk are set up specifically for carers of Alzheimer’s disease and Vascular Dementia. However, in our experience, people with Fronto-Temporal Dementias have very different needs. Many carers feel isolated from other carers as their personal situations are very different from their own.
The support group is open to the carers / relatives of the person diagnosed with Fronto-Temporal Dementia who are known to the Community Mental Health Services for Older Adults in Falkirk. Monthly meetings will be held to provide advice and social support in an informal setting.
Professionals are invited on a regular basis to talk about the clinical, social and legal aspects of care.
The group will be run by:
Alister Edmond, Community Psychiatric Nurse
Donna Mulder, Carers Training Co-ordinator, Carers Centre
Ruth Gardner, Occupational Therpist
Forthcoming meetings will take place at the Carers Centre on the following Fridays from 1.30 – 3.30 pm: 25 September, 30 October and 27 November 2015.
For further information, to book a place or if you require alternative care for the person you care for, so that you can attend please contact: Donna Mulder at the Carers Centre or download the programme here.
Caring for someone with dementia?
If you are caring for someone who has a diagnosis of dementia, you may be interesting in forthcoming weekly sessions on Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) starting at Falkirk Community Hospital on 19 October.
CST is a group intervention for people with dementia and for the family member or friend who supports them. It has been found to significantly benefit cognitive abilities such as memory and language (the person you care for must have a diagnosis of dementia and be able to communicate adequately to participate in a group setting).
Further information can be downloaded here. If you have questions or would like further information, please contact Louise Simpson or Kathryn Jackson, Occupational Therapists, Falkirk Community Hospital on 01324 673805.
Integration of health and social care – Opportunity in Clackmannanshire
Integration of health and social care is one of Scotland’s major programmes of reform. At its heart, health and social care integration is about ensuring that those who use services get the right care and support whatever their needs, at any point in their care journey. As part of delivering integrated health and social care, partnerships must develop a Strategic Plan in partnership with stakeholders.
There have already been a number of events, workshops and conversations which will influence the Strategic Plan, however a discussion and engagement event for people in Clackmannanshire has been arranged. This event will be on Wednesday 7th October, 10.00am – 12 noon in Alloa Town Hall. To register an interest in attending please call 01786 434049 or email CS.integration@nhs.net (due to fire safety regulations there is a limit to the number of people who can attend these sessions).
If you cannot attend and would like to contribute your view on what priorities should be contained with the Strategic Plan, you can write or email:
Lesley White, Programme Manager
Health & Social Care Integration
Clackmannanshire & Stirling
Administration Area 1
Ground Floor
Administration Building
Stirling Community Hospital
Livilands
Stirling, FK8 2AU
Care With Confidence Sessions in Denny
During September, carers are invited to Care with Confidence sessions in Denny on Managing Stress. Sessions take place each Wednesday from 9 to 23 September at St Alexanders Church, Denny, FK6 6DL from 10.30 am to 12.30 pm. Contact the Carers Centre for more information or to book a place, or download the full programme here.
Parents Groups – New Session Starting!
Falkirk support groups for parents of children and young people (up to 20 years) who have additional support needs will be starting up again at the beginning of September. Parents groups meet at the Carers Centre on the first Tuesday evening and the first Thursday morning of the month during term time and offer information and support to parent carers regardless of their child’s Illness, disability or condition. The September meetings will take place at the Carers Centre as follows:
Tuesday 1 September 2015, 7.30 pm to 9.30 pm
Thursday 3 September 2015, 10.30 am to 12 noon
We look forward to welcoming new members as well as those who regularly attend or who haven’t been along to the group for a while and would like to come along for the start of the new session.
For further information, contact Anne Prinn or Claire Crossan at the Carers Centre.
Care With Confidence Autumn 2015 Programme
A programme of weekly Care With Confidence sessions for carers in Falkirk district and Clackmannanshire will be taking place from the end of August to the end of November 2015. Topics will include: planning for the future; foot care; Power of Attorney; stress; Self-Directed Support and a range of other topics. There is no cost to attend these sessions which are held from 10 am to 12 noon at the Carers Centre in Falkirk and Hawkhill Community Centre in Alloa and carers can come along to some or all of the sessions.
Further information is available from Stella McDonald at the Carers Centre, Falkirk or Ian McCourt at the Carers Centre, Alloa and a copy of the programme can be downloaded here:
Care With Confidence Programme, Falkirk, August 2015
Care With Confidence Programme, Clackmannanshire, August 2015
Carer Eligibility for Services – Your Views
Through the Carers (Scotland) Bill, which is currently progressing through Parliament, local authorities will have a duty to support carers who meet certain eligibility criteria.
Carers have been very clear in their view that a national framework for eligibility is the only way to avoid the continuing postcode lottery operating throughout Scotland, and the National Carer Organisations (NCOs) are seeking an amendment to The Carers (Scotland) Bill for local authorities to support carers based on national eligibility criteria, rather than local eligibility criteria set by each local authority.
The NCOs have produced a draft Framework for National Eligibility Thresholds which sets out the circumstances in which carers would have a right to a service under The Carers (Scotland) Bill and are seeking views on the Framework which can be downloaded here.
Carers can email their comments to: coalition@carersnet.org or fill in a short survey by following this link .
The closing date for comments is the end of August 2015.
Emergency Budget 2015
What does the Emergency Budget 2015 mean for carers? The Chancellor has set out savings of £12bn from the welfare bill, to be gained from a number of different areas including freezes to many benefits, a lowering of the benefit cap, and significant changes to Tax Credits. Carers Allowance has not been cut but carers receiving other working age benefits may see part of their income affected. Carers UK Emergency Budget Briefing provides information on what the Budget means for carers: