IT IS VITAL TO FIND THESE HIDDEN CARERS, SO THAT WE CAN ENSURE THAT THEY HAVE THE FULL SUPPORT THAT THEY NEED
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‘The original idea behind the group was that Julie Mardon, who works for the NHS, became aware that, within the NHS and NHS staff, there was a need for unpaid carers to be highlighted to professionals so that they could be identified and signposted to the carers centres so that they could access the right support.
‘The main work started in or around August 2020, during the first lockdown and, from the beginning, it was agreed that one of the most obvious places to start identifying hidden carers was within the pharmacy setting, since people regularly called in to collect prescriptions for the people they were caring for.
‘Local community pharmacy leads agreed to identify some pharmacies in Ayrshire, who might want to be involved in a pilot to be ‘carer friendly’ and they provided them with posters and leaflets to advertise the initiative. They also invited counter staff to take part in information sessions to enable them to think about what an unpaid
carer actually was and how they could then signpost them to carers centres.
‘To date, the initiative has proved to be extremely popular – perhaps because it is so easy for pharmacy staff to initiate conversations with carers. The interaction between the pharmacy staff and the carers means that they are able to easily identify ‘clues’.
‘Say, for example, they notice that a person has brought in a prescription, collected medicines or asked for advice on behalf of someone else – especially if they do it on a regular basis. The team member may know the person and be aware of their personal circumstances.
‘One of the main difficulties in getting carers to identify themselves is because they don’t want to be perceived as ‘not coping’, but may very well need support.
‘Asking someone directly, ‘Are you a carer?’ may not be the right approach, but the conversational
ONE OF THE MAIN DIFFICULTIES IN GETTING CARERS TO IDENTIFY THEMSELVES IS BECAUSE THEY DON’T WANT TO BE PERCEIVED AS ‘NOT COPING’, BUT MAY VERY WELL NEED SUPPORT
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nature of the pharmacy/carer relationship facilitates a relaxed means of intervention. The team member is able to then emphasise the positive benefits of accessing helpful services and to assure the carer that the support from carers centres is on carers’ terms.
‘In terms of non-verbal interaction, a leaflet could be simply popped into – or attached to - a prescription bag, leading to discussion upon collection.
‘Above all else, it is vital to find the hidden carers in our communities, so that we can ensure that they have the full support that they need in order to have a life alongside their caring role.
‘Since pharmacies are at the heart of our communities, we are really hopeful that this collaboration will help us reach as many unpaid carers as possible.’
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