Carer's assessments

If you provide over 20 hours of personal assistance for over at least four days per week you are entitled to have a detailed assessment of your needs as a carer.

Assessing your needs
A care worker will arrange to meet with you to discuss your role as a carer and the ways in which it affects your day to day life. You may be entitled to services which could help you. Our worker will also record what needs to be done if you are unable to provide support in an emergency. If you are a carer of a disabled child your needs will be assessed as part of the whole family.

You can request a carer’s assessment by completing our Record of Carer Details. You can find out more by reading our Carers' leaflet.

If you are enquiring on behalf of someone else, please obtain the carer’s consent beforehand.

Making the most of a carer's assessment
This is your opportunity to help your care worker understand the affect caring has on you. It may be a good idea to make a list, or keep a diary, of everything you do to assist the person you support.

Some things you may want to think about:

do you get enough sleep?
is your health affected by caring?
can you leave the person you are looking after?
are you worried about having to give up work?
do you get enough time to yourself?
are you worried about other commitments which are being affected by your caring role?

The assessment can be carried out at your home or at the home of the person you support. If there is more than one carer providing regular care in your household, you are both entitled to an assessment.

Remember that this assessment is about your needs as a carer. You should be able to talk about the needs of the person you are caring for in their own needs assessment.

If your situation changes, for example, you need more support, you can ask for your situation to be reviewed.