Living with Dementia August 2008

A pilot project in Surrey is encouraging GP practices in the county to do more to reach out to carers.

There are six million people in the UK who care for someone who is ill or disabled. Of these six million, 1.25 million spend more than 50 hours a week caring, and around 1.3 million are over the age of 65. Of the 700,000 people in the UK with dementia, more than two thirds are cared for at home by their partners or families.

Carers make a huge contribution to society, saving the economy £87 billion* every year. (Carers supporting someone with dementia save the economy £6 billion a year). But the personal cost of caring is high. Many carers do not receive the help that is available to them, for a variety of reasons. Some do not realise they are carers and are therefore not aware of the support available. Others are reluctant to come forward because they feel that by admitting they can't cope, they are failing the person they care for.

Carers are also likely to have health problems themselves, but can be so busy that they don't find time for their own health needs. Studies have shown that those caring for people with dementia are at greater risk of illness, stress and depression.

One initiative that is making a difference to carers' health and well-being is the South West Surrey Carers Recognition Project. It was set up in July 2007 by Surrey Primary Care Trust, with support from the South West Carers Strategy Group, Surrey County Council and Guildford and Waverley Borough Council. Working with GPs and staff in 29 surgeries in Guildford and Waverley, the project aims to help practices become more 'carer friendly' and encourages them to register as carers.

Many carers don't know that they can register as a carer with their GP, or how it can benefit them. Alison Brock is the project's Carer Recognition Worker. She says,

It is no good waiting for carers to identify themselves as many people do not identify with the term 'carer', associating it with paid care staff. But it pays to register. A good GP can make sure a carer receives regular health checks, and if necessary, flu jabs. They can offer more flexible appointment times or make home visits. They can also act as a gateway to other sources of help such as counselling and referrals to social services.

Carers often collect prescriptions on behalf of the cared-for-person, so some practices have started including a very brief message on prescriptions, along the lines of, 'Are you are carer? Please let us know.

The Cranleigh Medical Practice is one surgery exploring practical ways to reach out to carers. The practice has added a carers' page to its website with links to relevant information, and will be holding an advice session for carers in the autumn. Information provided by the project is available on the practice's intranet to help GPs refer carers to other services. Dr Debbie Donovan, a GP at the practice, says,

When a carer comes in to talk about the person they are caring for, we also ask them about their own health.

John (who does not wish to disclose his surname) is one carer who has benefited from the project's work. His wife was diagnosed with vascular dementia last year. At this time, his GP was quick to ensure that John recognised himself as a carer and gave him the details of organisations which could help. She also stressed the importance of looking after his own health and told him about the possibility of respite care.

John says,

I wouldn't have identified myself as a carer, or realised what support was available.

Using the contacts provided by his GP, he is now armed with information about the services that he can access as his wife's dementia progresses. He has applied for benefits and been in touch with social services, as well as contacting Carers UK and his local Alzheimer's Society branch for support.

John's advice for other carers is simple. He says,

Get registered, get the information you need and make contact with organisations so you don't feel isolated.

The aim of the Carer's Recognition Project's was to increase the number of carers registering with a GP by 30 per cent in 2007/08. It has already achieved three times this target. The project is likely to be rolled out across the rest of Surrey when the pilot phase ends in 2009.

*The figure is taken from the Valuing Carers report, which calculated the value of unpaid care. It was published by Carers UK (call 020 7378 4999 for more information) or download a copy from http://www.carersuk.org/