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  2. Health and wellbeing
  3. Care and support
  4. Caring and support services

Support services for carers

If you're a carer, you might be able to arrange short or long term alternative care for the person you care for. Local support groups for carers meet in different areas. The local Trust can tell you about support groups and if there is any help available in your area.

Day-to-day support services

Day-to-day support services could allow you to go to work or take a break during the day. These services can also help you when the person you care for needs specialist care or a significant amount of looking after.

You access their services through your local Trust. Often the Trust may work with charities or other organisations to: 

  • provide support at day centres
  • arrange home care help
  • find a more suitable home for the person you care for
  • provide residential care
     
  • Health and Social Care Trusts

Day care centres

Day care centres provide different care services for people with disabilities.  If the person you care for goes to a day centre, this can be a break for you and them. 

Your local Trust must arrange this if the needs assessment of the person you care for states that day centre visits are part of the support they and you receive. 

Help at home

Home care workers can do different roles that help you care for someone. 

Home help assistants can:

  • clean
  • shop
  • prepare meals

Domiciliary care workers provide 'personal care', for example helping someone go to the toilet or get washed and dressed.

You might be able to employ people to help with care at home on your own. You should ask the local Trust for advice.

Residential care and nursing homes

Residential care and nursing homes are for people who cannot cope at home and need support with their care.  To let you have a break, the person you care for could get a short-term stay in a home.

Trusts, private companies and voluntary organisations  run residential care and nursing homes. 

  • Residential care and nursing homes  

Your local Trust

Your local Health and Social Care Trust may have a list of local carers' groups. Contact the Carer Co-ordinator in your Trust to find out what's available.

  • HSC Trust Carers Co-ordinators

Other support services for carers

There are other services and facilities that can help you care for the person and promote their independence. These include schemes to help with transport, including the Blue Badge Scheme and the Motability Scheme.

  • Blue Badge Scheme
  • The Motability Scheme
  • Motoring and transport

To find information about support organisations, go to: 

  • A to Z Guide for Carers

NIE Critical Care Register

The Northern Ireland Electricity (NIE) Critical Care Register offers a critical care information service to customers who are dependent on life supporting electrical equipment

When registered with NIE’s Critical Care Service, you will receive accurate information by telephone during a power cut or a planned interruption. You can also give NIE details of a relative, neighbour or friend as an alternative, if they are unable to make direct contact with you.

If you telephone NIE as a registered critical care customer, they will recognise your number and your call will get priority.

You can join the Critical Care Register online or download a form from the NIE website and return it by post.

  • Critical Care Register 

More useful links

  • Carers Northern Ireland
  • Crossroads Caring for Carers
  • Carerstrust website
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Caring and support services

  • Arranging health and social care
  • Assessments for carers
  • Caring for someone who is nearing the end of life
  • Contact with other carers
  • Employing a professional carer or personal assistant
  • Shared Lives scheme for Northern Ireland
  • Support services for carers
  • Young carers

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Comments or queries about angling can be emailed to anglingcorrespondence@daera-ni.gov.uk 

If you have a comment or query about benefits, you will need to contact the government department or agency which handles that benefit.  Contacts for common benefits are listed below.

Carer's Allowance

Call 0800 587 0912
Email 
dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

Discretionary support / Short-term benefit advance

Call 0800 587 2750 
Email 
customerservice.unit@communities-ni.gov.uk

Disability Living Allowance

Call 0800 587 0912 
Email dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

Employment and Support Allowance

Call 0800 587 1377

Jobseeker’s Allowance

Contact your local Jobs & Benefits office

Personal Independence Payment

Call 0800 587 0932

If your query is about another benefit, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

Comments or queries about the Blue Badge scheme can be emailed to bluebadges@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk or you can also call 0300 200 7818.

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