Ceredigion continues to invest in carers
Ceredigion Community Mental Health Team and staff working in Cardigan Hospital’s Outpatients Department and Minor Injuries Unit recently received the Investors in Carers Bronze award, a scheme which is delivered by Hywel Dda University Health Board and supported by its local authority partners in Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire.
The Investors in Carers initiative is designed to help health facilities such as GP practices and hospitals focus on and improve their carer awareness and enhance the help and support they give carers.
A carer is someone, of any age, who provides unpaid support to family or friends who could not manage without this help. This could be caring for a relative, partner or friend who is ill, frail, disabled or has mental health or substance misuse problems. Anyone can become a carer; in most cases becoming a carer is not out of choice, it just happens.
Lydia Hayward, Team Leader for Ceredigion Community Mental Health Team said: "Obviously I am very proud of my teams achievement in gaining the Investors in Carers Bronze award.
"Supporting carers has always been of paramount importance in maintaining the care and support our service users; it's great that we now have a process which recognises our carers’ needs.
"Within Ceredigion the multidisciplinary team all work to this model which really provides a holistic approach."
Kim Parry, Community Health Care Support Worker in Ceredigion said: "Working on this award has made me more confident in my abilities and knowledge around the caring role family’s undertake. Also as Carers Champion I have been able to ensure the rest of the team are aware of all the services and how to access them."
Cardigan Hospital Sister Jan Walker said: "The staff working in Cardigan Outpatients Department and Minor Injuries Unit are very proud of their success in achieving the Bronze Investors in Carers award and feel it reflects the hard work they put in to not only care for their patients but look more widely at the support networks they may have.
"I’d like to thank Clarice Talbot, in particular, who makes sure on a daily basis that the registered nurses working in the clinics now have more targeted support material to give to carers depending on what speciality of clinic is taking place."
For more information about the Investors in Carers scheme please visit www.hywelddahb.wales.nhs.uk/carers
Photos: Ceredigion Community Mental Health Team (top) and staff from Cardigan Hospital’s Outpatients Department and Minor Injuries Unit.
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