Lodge Surgery recognises the hard work and dedication of our patients who are carers. The Practice has been accredited the Gold Plus Award for our efforts to recognise and assist carers. Our Carers Lead is Lisa Sandford and Deputy Lead is Jade Stockley.

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. Carers may even be juggling paid work with their unpaid caring responsibilities at home. The term carer should not be confused with a care worker or care assistant, who receives payment for looking after someone.

If you are a Lodge patient and care for someone else you will benefit from joining our Carers' Register and benefit from carers' clinics which are supported by a Practice Nurse and a member of Carer Support Wiltshire.  The practice works closely with Carer Support Wiltshire to ensure that patients are provided with the help and support that they need in order to stay healthy and able to carry on with their important work.

Carer Support Wiltshire aims to identify and help as many Carers as possible living in Wiltshire.  They provide free information, support, advice and opportunities for adult Carers who look after a relative, friend or neighbour regardless of the disability, illness or age of the person being cared for.

Carers have different needs and centres can assist you in information regarding health issues, entitlements, mobility, grants for holidays, equipment and support.  We can refer you directly to Carer Support Wiltshire but you do not necessarily need a referral to access services.  For more information about Carer Support Wiltshire please see their website Carer Support Wiltshire | Supporting unpaid carers in Wiltshire.

Call Carer Support Wiltshire on 0800 181 4118 (freephone)

Email admin@carersupportwiltshire.co.uk

Website www.carersupportwiltshire.co.uk

If you are a carer please complete the form so that we can include you in our register.  Once you are added we can support you in your busy life as a carer, which can affect your physical and mental health.

We can also try and be flexible when offering you appointments as we will know about and understand your commitments. 

Did you know we have a Care Co-ordinator who can help you?  Hayley, our friendly Care Co-ordinator, works with individuals, families and carers to help signpost you to a large number of social and voluntary agencies for help. 

She works closely with our GPs, community team, social services and hospitals to coordinate patient care and will keep patients and their families informed of progress.  If you feel she can help you please call the surgery and we will pass your information on to her.

Have you walked our Health Route yet? This is a project that Dr Heath worked on in conjunction with NHS Forest.  The project aims to improve the health and wellbeing of patients, staff and communities by increasing access to green space on or near NHS land.

Spending time in nature can reduce anxiety and improve your mood and physical activity is known to reduce your risk of diabetes, depression, dementia and cardiovascular diseases.  It is free and fun!

Dr Heath received grants from Tesco Bags of Help scheme and Chippenham Town Council to fund the project.

You may have already spotted the signs on lamp posts marking the walk but you can download a route map here or ask Reception for a copy if you are unable to print it. And let us know if you do the walk!

For more information about the project visit www.nhsforest.org

They’re here to make sure that no matter how complicated your query or your experience, you don’t have to care alone.

Telephone: 020 7378 4999

Website: www.carersuk.org

If you need help considering future care plans for yourself or someone you care for, Carer Support Wiltshire has useful resources available on their website.

https://carersupportwiltshire.co.uk/resource-centre/managing-someones-affairs-2/

https://carersupportwiltshire.co.uk/resource-centre/when-the-person-you-care-for-moves-into-a-care-home/

There is a wealth of information on the NHS website about carers and caring. Below are some links into the site that we hope you will find useful.

• A guide to care and support

  Information for carers and people who have care & support needs.

• Caring for someone

  Advice on providing care, medicines etc.

• Care after hospital

  Providing care for people who have been recently discharged from hospital.

• Taking a break

  Caring for someone can be a full-time job - find out about accessing breaks and respite care.

• Support and benefits for carers
  

  Caring for someone can be a full-time job - find out about accessing breaks and respite care.

• Work and Disability
  

  Guidance, support and help with employment issues.

  Being a Young carer

  Advice for carers 18 or under and their entitlement to support

Help claiming benefits, looking after your bank balance and understanding the legal issues of caring.

• Benefits for carers

  Directing carers to the benefits that can help them in their caring role

• Benefits for the under-65s

  Advice and information on helping the person you look after get the benefits that they are entitled to.

  Benefits for the over-65s

  Advice and information on financial support for older people with a disability or illness.

• Carer's Assessment
  

  How your benefits maybe affected after the death of the person you look after and what happens to their benefits

• Other benefits

  Advice for carers and the people they are looking after on claiming a whole host of other benefits unrelated to their disability or caring