useful links
Emotional Support Websites
Supportline
This is not carer specific but offers telephone/email/post help to socially isolated and vulnerable people
Samaritans
Samaritans provides confidential non-judgemental emotional support, 24 hours a day for people who are experiencing feelings of distress or despair, including those which could lead to suicide.
NHS Leaflets
This site is helpful for requesting specific leaflets from the NHS.
Cruse Bereavement Care
A site that covers bereavement.
Stress Busting
Looks at different types of stress and how to combat it.
Patient
Provides general carers information as well as emotional support.
Surgery Door
If you select reference library tab, then carers, and then "when caring becomes a crisis" for some really helpful information.
ISMA
Website about general stress.
Useful Devon websites
Ckinna Caring
Ckinna Caring based in Exeter, Devon in the South West is a care agency that helps support individuals and their families by providing care in the familiarity and comfort of their own home. Tailored care pacakges can be provided for live-in care, day sitting, home visits and respite care. Ckinna Caring's carers are experienced in dealing with a range of medical conditons, providing acute care for people with multiple conditions or those requiring palliative care.
Devon Primary Care Trust
Devon Primary Care Trust manage community hospitals and health centres and works with GPs, dentists, and pharmacies. The Trust also commissions inpatient treatment, outpatient appointments, as well as diagnostic tests at acute hospitals in Exeter, Plymouth, Torbay and North Devon.
Devon County Council site "Carers in Devon" website pages
Devon County Council provides social care for both adults and children, as well as being responsible for state schools in Devon. Both carers of adults and parent carers are likely to come into contact with with a wide range of services Devon County Council provide or fund. The pages on their website which specifically provide advice for carers are called Carers In Devon.
Devon County Council site young carers website pages
A young carer is under 18 years of age. They help look after a parent, brother, sister or another relative or friend who due to their disability, frailty, illness or vulnerability cannot care for themselves without help. The Devon Young Carers website has been developed with the help of young carers. It contains helpful information as well as fun and games.
Devon Partnership NHS Trust
Devon Partnership NHS Trust works in partnership with other health and social care providers across Devon to deliver services to support the recovery of people with mental health needs. The Trust works with adults, older people, people with alcohol and substance misuse issues, people with a learning disability, people with a severe eating disorder who require a stay in hospital and people who need forensic or secure mental health services (usually people that have come into contact with the criminal justice system).
Devon Children’s Trust
Devon’s Children’s Trust is a strategic partnership. It exists to improve outcomes for children and young people by encouraging service working with children to plan and work together. The partnership includes the District Councils, County Council, Connexions service, Police, Fire and Health agencies.
Learning Disability Devon
Learning Disability Devon is a website for people with learning disabilities, their families and carers, and staff.
PALS Devon Primary Care Trust
The Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) is a service which exists in every NHS Trust to advise patients and realtives. This is the link to the PALS service for Devon Primary Care Trust.
PALS Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital
The Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) is a service which exists in every NHS Trust. This is the link to the PALS service for The Royal Exeter and Devon Hospital.
PALS Northern Devon NHS Trust (includes Barnstaple Hospital)
The Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) is a service which exists in every NHS Trust. This is the link to the PALS service for the North Devon NHS Trust.
PALS Devon Partnership NHS Trust
The Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) is a service which exists in every NHS Trust. This is the link to the PALS service for the Devon Partnership NHS Trust.
Living Options Devon
Living Options Devon is a user-led voluntary organisation which exists to ensure people with physical and/or sensory disabilities and Deaf people with sign language can make an active and equal contribution in society.
Parent Carers Voice
Parent Carers’ Voice is a way for parent and carers to influence the way services for their children are planned and delivered in Devon. Parent Carers’ Voice acts as a consultative mechanism between parents and carers of children with special needs and the services their children receive.
South Devon Carers Consortium
South Devon Carers' Consortium is a body of people, some of whom represent a charitable group or organisation, with an interest in carers' issues covering the South Hams, Teignbridge and Torquay. Any individual, group or charitable organisation that is concerned with the needs of carers can become a member.
Carers World Radio
Carers World Radio is a monthly radio programme produced for carers. Based in the UK the show reaches a global audience. Carers UK is a long established supporter of the show. The show features the latest news and developments on topics relating to caring from around the world. Carers World Radio has also pioneered innovative live broadcasts from events such as conferences where carers at home are able to interact with presenters and the live audience with a chat room. This was successfully used at Carers UK events such as the International Carers Conference and our Carers' Summits in London and Wales in 2010.
Carers UK
Carers UK is an organisation of carers fighting to end injustice affecting carers. Carers UK wants people to recognise the true value of carers’ contribution to society. They campaign for practical, financial and emotional support for carers.
Counselling Directory
The purpose of the site is ultimately to provide the
Princess Royal Trust for Carers
The Princess Royal Trust for Carers was created on the initiative of HRH The Princess Royal in 1991. The Princess Royal Trust for Carers is the largest provider of comprehensive carers support services in the UK.
Directgov carers pages
Directgov is the website of the UK government for its citizens, providing information and online services for the public all in one place. This links goes directly to the pages designed for carers on the Directgov website.
NHS Choices Carers Direct pages
NHS Choices Carers Direct are the pages designed for carers on the NHS Choices website. NHS Choices is intended to help you make choices about your health, from lifestyle decisions about things like smoking, drinking and exercise, through to the practical aspects of finding and using NHS services in England when you need them. It draws together the knowledge and expertise of the National Library for Health (NLH), the Information Centre for Health and Social Care, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and many other organisations. Since the integration of the online arm of NHS Direct in October 2008, NHS Choices provides a single 'front door' for the public to all NHS online services and information through the country’s biggest health website.
Department of Work and Pensions disability and carers pages
The Disability and Carers Service is part of the Pension, Disability and Carers Service (PDCS), an executive agency of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). With offices across the country, the service provides financial support such as Disability Living Allowance, Attendance Allowance, Carer’s Allowance and other benefits relevant to carers.
Mencap
Mencap works exclusively with and for people with a learning disability, their families and carers. Mencap is the leading provider of specialist services for people with a learning disability.
Mental Health Care
mentalhealthcare.org.uk is a website for family members and friends of people with psychosis. It gives up-to-date, evidence-based information about schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and other mental health problems that may involve the symptoms of psychosis. There is information about causes, symptoms and treatments. The site aims to help relatives and friends in their caring role. mentalhealthcare.org.uk has been created by researchers at the Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London and by mental health professionals working at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust in response to research that shows that carers of people with psychosis are often not given the information they need and want. The site includes short films of experts talking about different aspects of psychosis to complement the text, summaries of pertinent research and “Ask the ...“ pages where visitors can submit questions about psychosis to a psychiatrist, a psychologist and a pharmacist. The site was launched in February 2010.
British Institute of Learning Disability
The British Institute of Learning Disabilities (BILD) is a national charity committed to improving the quality of life for the 1.2 million people in the UK with a learning disability. BILD does this by influencing policy-makers and other decision-makers, encouraging good practice among practitioners and helping people with a learning disability take charge of their own lives and become part of an inclusive society.
Mind
Mind is the leading mental health charity in England and Wales.
ind works to create a better life for everyone with experience of mental distress by campaigning for people’s rights, challenging poor practice in mental health, informing and supporting thousands of people on a daily basis, providing over services across England and Wales through a network of local Mind associations.
Multiple Sclerosis Society
The Multiple Sclerosis Society is the UK's largest charity for people affected by multiple sclerosis (MS).
The MS Societyis a membership organisation but provide services to all. The Society funds MS research, runs respite care centres, provides grants (financial assistance), education and training on MS. It produces numerous publications on MS and runs a freephone specialist helpline.
Parkinson’s Disease Society
The Parkinson's Disease Society's mission is the conquest of Parkinson’s disease and the alleviation of the suffering and distress it causes, through effective research, education, welfare
and communication.
Headway
Headway is a national charity set up to give help and support to people affected by brain injury. It does this in a number of ways. Headway runs a network of local groups and branches, it runs a helpline, provides information and campaigns for measures to reduce the number of brain injuries.
Age Concern and Help the Aged
On 1 April 2009 the four national Age Concerns in England‚ Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland joined with Help the Aged to create four new national charities dedicated to improving the lives of older people. Their mission is to promote the well-being of all older people and to help make later life a fulfilling and enjoyable experience. They provide essential services such as day care and information and also campaign on issues like age discrimination and pensions‚ and work to influence public opinion and government policy about older people.
Alzheimer’s Society
Alzheimer's Society is the UK's leading care and research charity for people with all types of dementia and those who care for them. Through local branches they provide practical services and support for people with dementia and their carers. Through campaigning and lobbying they strive to influence government policies and raise awareness of the challenges faced by people with dementia and the people who care for them. And through their research programmes they work to improve the knowledge of dementia and its treatment, pursuing the ultimate goal of finding a cure.
Tardive Dyskinesia
Tardive Dyskinesia can develop in patients who have been treated with certain prescription antipsychotics and antipsychotic medications are currently the second leading cause of Parkinsonian symptoms, trailing only the disease itself. According to Mental Health America, as many as 1 out of every 5 patients taking neuroleptic or antipsychotic medications for longer than three months will develop Tardive Dyskinesia, which can be permanent and has no known cure.
Other Useful Websites
Stairlift Advisor
Features practical tips on how to choose the best stairlift.
Earth & Wind
I am a hypnotherapist and reiki healer based in Devon. I am very aware of the issues facing carers as I cared for my father when he had dementia. There is further information about the therapies I offer on www.earthandwind.co.uk.