New local support group for carers
To coincide with Carer’s Week, South West Yorkshire Mental Health Trust are launching an informal, drop in group for carers, families and friends of people with mental health problems. The group will be launched on Thursday 12th June and will provide support for people in the Wakefield district who know or care for someone being treated for mental health problems at Fieldhead, Ouchthorpe Lane, Fieldhead.
The drop-in sessions, which will take place twice a month, will give carers and families an opportunity to share their experiences and offer advice on how to deal with the impact of having a loved one with a mental health problem. Those who attend will be able to book appointments with medical teams to discuss individual cases, if appropriate. Information on various issues such as community support groups, housing, benefits, respite care and medication will also be available.
Carers of people who use services at Fieldhead will be invited to join the group, and can ask staff for more details.
Staff Nurse Alan Stanley who helped get the group started said, "Our group is to be a way of gaining and sharing information for people who have a family member or friend with a mental health problem. We aim to provide the answers to questions and put people in touch with agencies to ensure they access appropriate benefits and assessments. We also aim to recognise young carers and acknowledge their contribution in supporting their parents."
The Trust’s Chief Executive Steven Michael said, "Carer’s Week is a great opportunity to acknowledge the contribution carers make to society and the new support group launched today aims to give something back to those very important people who are all too often overlooked. It is important for us to remember the needs of carers as well as the needs of people who use our services, and support them as best we can. I would like to encourage carers to sign up to become Trust members. By doing this they are given an extra voice and can have a say in how our services are run. They can join our Trust at www.southwestyorkshire.nhs.uk or by calling 01924 327567.
Thousands of events and activities are taking place throughout Carers Week. For details about local organisers and for more general information about Carer’s Week, visit www.carersweek.org.