HOW DO YOU DEFINE A 'CARER'?
How do you define a ‘carer’?
There are many ‘labels’ for what we do through out our lives. I have always been uncomfortable with using ‘service user’, only because I felt it to be impersonal.
So, I am curious and thought I would have a look around to see how it is described by others.
Firstly, by http://www.carersandconfidentiality.org.uk who recognise the confusion and secondly by www.carers.org .
“This website focuses on informal carers, i.e. the relatives or friends of a mental health service user who offer emotional and practical support on a voluntary basis.
…the term carer is important in both ’policy and legal terms.
Paid practitioner carers refers to people employed to support people with mental health problems, often in their own homes, with everyday tasks such as cleaning, shopping, getting dressed and cooking according to an agreed plan of care. This group is also commonly referred to as ‘care workers’ or ‘care assistants’.
Informal carers refers to family or close friends who provide a variety of emotional and practical supports. This caring is generally unpaid and carried out on a voluntary basis. However some carers will receive statutory benefits such as a carer allowance, direct payment or personal budget.”
“What is a carer?
Definition of a carer
A carer is anyone who cares, unpaid, for a friend or family member who due to illness, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction cannot cope without their support.
Anyone can become a carer; carers come from all walks of life, all cultures and can be of any age. Many feel they are doing what anyone else would in the same situation; looking after their mother, son, or best friend and just getting on with it.
Carers don’t choose to become carers: it just happens and they have to get on with it; if they did not do it, who would and what would happen to the person they care for?”
