Skip to main content

Preparing for swine flu - info for carers

If you feel that you'd like to be prepared in case you are unlucky enough to get swine flu this year, you might be interested in this information I've received from Manchester City Council...
Carers can plan for an emergency as part of a Carer's Needs Assessment. In the assessment, they can discuss how they would like the person that they care for to be looked after if they become ill or their situation changes and there is also the option to have an emergency sitting service available as back-up. The assessment is simply a discussion about their needs as a carer and, as well as planning for an emergency, it gives carers the chance to find out about other services that could help them in their caring role. To request a Carer's Needs Assessment, carers can simply call Manchester's Contact Service on 0161 255 8250.
Carers should also find themselves a flu-friend or flu-friends who understand their caring role and, as well as being able to assist the carer, may be able to take on some of the caring responsibilities. The attached Flu-friend Flyer allows carers to keep a list of their flu-friends.
Carers can also find out more information about swine flu and caring (including information about flu jabs) at www.nhs.uk/carersdirect or call the Flu Service on 0800 1 513 100 for information if they feel unwell.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Mental Health Screening in Police Custody: Recruiting for Research project

We've been sent details of a research project - details below if you would like to read more and get involved. The main aim of the project is to improve current practices surrounding the identification of mental health problems for people in contact with the police, through increasing access to timely and appropriate referral to mental health professionals . The project focuses on the gap in police access to mental health services on the evenings and weekends when there is a high turnover of people through custody. The project is a collaboration between the Offender Health Research Network, University of Manchester and LancashireCare NHS Foundation Trust. If interested, you are welcome to participate in the following ways; 1. Interview (1 x 1 hour) (May 2011 - Jan 2012) 2. Consultation Questionnaires (approx 4) (Nov 2011 - Dec 2012) A £10 mobile top up for participation in the interview and a £20 mobile top up for completion of each questionnaire will be provided. (Arg...

Radio star

This Friday at 11am our Group Chair, Lindsey Cree, is being interviewed on BBC Radio M/c, 95.1 FM by Heather Stott. Lindsey will be talking about carers of those with a mental illness. Do tune in if you can. Good luck Lindsey we know you'll be great!

Park House relocation transport update

As readers of this blog may know, Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust is in the process of relocating psychiatric inpatient services from Edale House at the Central Manchester Hospital (MRI) site to Park House at North Manchester General Hospital. We've always been concerned about the impact that this move will have on carers and service users in terms of increased transport times. A representative from the Trust came to our meeting last month to update us on plans for transport and the Trust's latest newsletter contains the following update on the service user and carer transport sub-group: "The group last met on 6 February and it was decided that another visitor questionnaire should be undertaken to make sure that we make the right  decisions about transport.  It was also agreed that more engagement and       communication with service users is necessary and  the service users and carers who attend the meetings will support this....