Site guide
Leisure opportunities for carers
Everyone needs a break occasionally, especially carers. Having a break is essential to help you cope with caring and give you time to recharge your batteries. It is just as important for the person being cared for. You may want to follow up your interests, learn new skills and make friends, or catch up with family and friends. There are many services and organisations that cater specifically for people with disabilities and their carers, such as sports centres, education centres, social clubs, support groups, to name just a few.
Remember that you can organise residential or nursing respite care for the person you care for. You can either do this through Social Services (ask for an Assessment and Carers Assessment), or privately. Details of Homes and home care agencies in West Sussex can be found at www.westsussex.gov.uk. Funding for short breaks may be available for carers who have not had a holiday for over 12 months (plus travel costs sometimes). The Carers Support services can help with this - contact details can be found at the end of this page.
More information about respite care can be found on the following pages of this website: HelpCarers/taking_a_break.htm
Below is a very small selection of ideas that might help:
Local libraries are a good source of information about local hobby or special interest groups.
Cinema Exhibitors Association Card (added 24.5.11)
This scheme from The Card Network allows one free ticket to the cinema for a person requiring assistance. The CEA Card is accepted in 90% of cinemas in the UK. To be eligible for a card, applicants will need to be in receipt of either Disability Living Allowance or Attendance Allowance at any rate or be registered as blind. The CEA Card will go into the person’s name who requires the assistance; they will still pay for their ticket but the accompanying person will go in for free. This can be their carer, friend or relative. For more details contact: Carrie Walters, CEA Card Co-ordinator, CEA Card, PO Box 199, Deeside CH5 9BW Tel: 0845 123 1292, www.ceacard.co.uk
Many leisure centres offer concessionary rates for carers, disabled people or people in receipt of certain benefits, i.e. income support, income-based job seekers allowance, council tax benefit, housing benefit or disability benefit. Contact your local centre for more details.
Chichester Festival Theatre - 50% discount to anyone in receipt of a disability benefit and their carer/escort.
Mid Sussex District Council's Olympos Sports Centres at Burgess Hill and Haywards Heath are offering carers who spend 35 hours or more caring for ill or elderly family members membership at nearly half the normal price. Carers Concessions can be received by people with a Carer's or Disabled Living Allowance. To apply phone Olympos Membership Sales on 01444 447823 or email [email protected]
Saga Respite for Carers Trust (added 6.3.09)
Trust that rewards people who care for their loved ones by giving them a well-earned holiday, while ensuring continuity of care. If you are a carer who is unable to take a break from your responsibilities, are aged over 50, have been caring for someone for more than a year, have not taken a significant holiday away from your caring responsibilities within the last year, and are not a professional carer, you may qualify. You can either apply online www.saga.co.uk or write to The Trust Manager, Saga Respite for Carers Trust, The Saga Building, Enbrook Park, Folkestone, Kent CT20 3SE.
To find an activity in your area please look under the Search Options section (see below);
or read the Tell me about Taking a Break for more ideas.
Carers Coffee Mornings - the Carers Support Services can provide details of coffee mornings in their areas. Contact details for your local service can be found at the foot of this page.
Walking West Sussex added 4.2.08
A festival of walks and activities for both committed walkers and those who want to broaden their experience and enjoyment of outdoor activities using themes of heritage, landscape, literature and food. It could be a full-day walk across dramatic downland, discovering some of the shoreline's coastal path, or family walks to different venues. For more information or to register for this year's walk phone 01903 812727, email: [email protected] or visit the county council website www.westsussex.gov.uk/walking
www.walkswithwheelchairs.com (added 2.11.07) - website providing free information on routes throughout the UK that are suitable for wheelchair users
You can get more information from:
Carers Support Service: Regis, Chichester and Rural - this service covers the Chichester district area from Selsey north to Wisborough Green, including Bognor Regis and Arundel. Tel: 01243 537011Carers Support Service, North and Mid Sussex - supports carers in an area which stretches from Haywards Heath in Mid Sussex to Horsham and takes in the Crawley Area as well. Tel: 01293 657040
Carers Support Service, Worthing and District - this service covers Southwick to Littlehampton along the coast and north to Steyning, Storrington, Pulborough and Henfield. Tel: 01903 536378
National information on respite/day care/holidays and other aspects of taking a break from Carers UK
www.guildcare.org - charity operating in and around the Worthing area, offering a range of care and support services, including care homes, respite care, day care, carers support, home care and a Healthy Living Centre
Crossroads Care - provision of Carers Support Workers to enable a carer to have a regular break while their cared for person is looked after
Search
If you are having trouble finding the information you need on this website you could try using one of the following search options:Local Search
You can use this facility to search the Carers Online database for organisations in West Sussex that may be able to help you.
Search this Site
You can use this facility to search the website for a particular keyword or phrase.