Caring for someone? Support is there for you too.

This Carer’s Week (6-12 June 2022), Orkney Islands Council and Crossroads Care Orkney are reminding the community that help and support is available to unpaid carers – people who are helping others with day to day life.

Crossroads’ mascot for the week, Ezra, will be doing a social media takeover of the organisation’s facebook page, with a different story each day about what it’s like to be a carer and the support Crossroads Orkney provides him.

Crossroads Care Orkney offers advice, information, emotional support and advocacy, and free respite care for unpaid carers so they can take a break from caring.

Not usually a talkative fellow, Ezra says: “I know that if I need help and advice, or some emotional support, I can pick up the phone any time and speak to Crossroads.”

You can follow Ezra’s stories over on the Crossroads Care Orkney facebook page.

Manager of Crossroads Orkney, Arlene Montgomery, said: “Our message to anyone caring for someone is that we’re here to help you enjoy life and continue that caring role for as long as you want to.

“Carers come in all shapes and sizes – they can be youngsters looking after parents, adults looking after elderly relatives, or a friend or neighbour looking out for someone they know.

“Unpaid carers are the absolute backbone giving so much to ensure other people have a quality of life – and they’re entitled by law to support to help them enjoy life too.

“We know taking the first step to get support can be daunting – but we also know the pressure of caring. It’s a 24/7 job and one that’s of such importance in our community – no-one should feel they have to shoulder it alone.”

You can watch Arlene speaking about the support Crossroads Care Orkney provides, on Orkney Islands Council's Youtube channel:
https://youtu.be/2ruA58nWJJc

Anyone wanting to know more can also pop to Crossroads Care Orkney tomorrow, Wednesday 8 June, to the carers support group coffee afternoon between 12 midday and 2pm.

To talk about your caring role and the kind of support you could access, contact Crossroads Care Orkney on
01856 870500 or by email, or visit them at Kirkwall Travel Centre, West Castle Street, Kirkwall KW151GU.

Its estimated there could be around 3,000 unpaid carers in Orkney – with only around 400 currently receiving support.

Unpaid Carers are entitled under the Carers (Scotland) Act to seek support to enable them to continue caring.

To find out more, you can visit the NHS Inform website or call the national helpline 0800 011 320. You can also speak to Orkney Islands Council's Social Work team by calling 01856 873535 or emailing Orkney Health and Care (This email is monitored office hours only).

More about the legal rights of unpaid carers:

The Carers Act, passed by the Scottish Government in 2018, enables unpaid carers to seek help and support from Councils and other support organisations. In Orkney, Crossroads Carers Orkney is appointed by Orkney Health and Care to coordinate that support.