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Important Takeaways:
Making the decision to become a full-time carer for a family member can be difficult, and there are a number of things to consider:
- Before becoming a full-time carer for a family member, you need to consider their needs and contact your GP for support
- Providing care at home can entitle you to financial benefits and support to help with the costs of being a carer
Becoming a full-time carer for a family member can have a huge impact on not only your life, but the relationship you have with your loved one needing care and your family and friends around you. And so, it is important to think long and hard about the pros and cons of becoming a full-time carer for a relative.
Making the Decision to Become a Full-Time Carer for a Loved One
Before taking the leap to become a full-time carer for a family member, first you need to consider their needs and contact your GP for support.
Normally the Local Authority will assess care needs and any equipment that may be required to make a carer and their loved one’s life a little easier
Being a carer for a family member full-time means giving over 35 hours a week of care and support, and so it is important to consider the personal, professional and financial implications that could arise.
Your social life and ability to do things more freely will likely dwindle; leaving work to become a full-time carer may not be viable for your situation without financial assistance and funding from your local council or government.
If you make the decision to become a full-time carer, you can explore financial assistance and seek guidance from charities and healthcare professionals to create a plan that ensures both you and your loved one receive the best care possible.
Legal and Financial Considerations
A power of attorney gives your chosen person the legal authority to make decisions on your behalf if you’re no longer able to make them yourself.
Once a loved one has been diagnosed with dementia, planning for the future is important.
As a progressive disease, dementia will likely make it more difficult for your loved one to make plans and decisions over time, that is why a carer can become a health and welfare lasting power of attorney (LPA).
A health and welfare LPA allows the attorney to make decisions on their dependent’s behalf about their health and care, if they are unable to make decisions for themselves, including . decisions about where they live, day-to-day care and medical treatment.
However, there is also a property and affairs LPA, who can cover decisions about your finances and property.
If the time comes when someone cannot manage their finances anymore, the person appointed as an attorney can do it for them. This includes:
- Managing your bank accounts
- Paying your bills
- Collecting your income and benefits
- Selling your house
However, if you want to, you can limit the decisions the attorney can make, or when they can make them.
There are two different options for property and affairs LPAs which the dependent can choose:
- Your attorney can only make decisions for you when you can’t make them for yourself
- Your attorney can also make decisions that you can make for yourself, if you allow them to. This can be a good way to give yourself extra support.
Accessing Support and Resources
If you care for someone, you can ask for a carer’s assessment to see what might make your life a little easier.
The carer’s assessment might recommend things like:
- Someone to take over caring so you can take a break
- Gym membership and exercise classes to relieve stress
- Help with taxi fares if you don’t drive
- Help with gardening and housework
- Training how to lift safely
- Putting you in touch with local support groups so you have people to talk to
- Advice about benefits for carers
If you would like to apply for a carer’s assessment from your local authority, contact adult social services at your local council and ask for a carer’s assessment.
If you are struggling to cope, you can contact the following organisations who can offer information and access to local support groups:
Balancing Care and Personal Well-being
Being a carer for a family member involves spending a lot of time focusing on someone else, which means you may feel as though you have no time for yourself. But looking after your own wellbeing is important for you and for them.
Here are a few self-care ideas that will enable you to balance care and your personal well-being:
- Share how you feel: It’s important to have someone to talk to, especially if you’re struggling to cope
- Try to be realistic: You may feel as though you never achieve anything if you take on too much. Try to get a clear idea about what you can do
- Find ways to stay organised: Staying organised can help you feel more in control. Why not try keeping a schedule or planner for your daily routine?
- Support their independence: It’s important to help your loved one have some control over their care. It might mean taking a step back or supporting decisions you wouldn’t make, but it may also mean that you can find a balance in your relationship
- Find positives in your relationship: Talking openly and honestly can help you find ways of coping together
- Take a break and make time for you: Try and take a break, especially if you are worried about your own mental health. You may not be able to take a break whenever you need one, but it’s important to have time that’s just yours
- Look after your physical health: It’s just as important as looking after your mental health when you are feeling stressed and low
- Download a meditation of mindfulness app: Give yourself some headspace
Respite care is provided as a result of your carer’s assessment in some areas, while it is provided through a needs assessment for the person you care for in other areas.
If your assessment or your loved one’s assessment shows you need respite care, the local council should provide it.
You may be able to get financial support from the council to help you take a break, but because respite services are means-tested, you or the person you care for may need to contribute towards the cost.
There are special rules to decide whether you’ll continue to receive Carer’s Allowance if you have time off from caring. The basic rule is, you can continue to receive your Carer’s Allowance for up to four weeks in any six-month period if taking a break from caring. But we advise seeking advice from the Carer’s Allowance Unit.
The Emotional and Practical Realities of Caregiving
There are a lot of practical responsibilities to consider as a carer for a family member, including:
- Maintaining hygiene
- Ordering and administering medication
- Mobility support
- Physical support
- Shopping
- Meal prep
- Household tasks
- Taking care of bills
- Arranging hospital appointments and transport
- Emotional support and providing a friendly face
By becoming a full-time carer for a family member, you may notice dips in your emotions; you may feel overwhelmed, stressed and drained.
You may even feel angry and guilty because of the changes in your life as a result of being a carer, or you may feel upset because your relationship is changing with the person you care for. There will be lows and bad days, but there will be joy and up days with your loved one too.
Impact on Family Dynamics
Becoming a full-time carer will likely mean big changes to your life, which can in turn have an impact on your relationships.
The relationship that will change most dramatically will likely be with the person you care for. Not only are you their wife, husband, son or daughter, you will add ‘and carer’ to the dynamic. This can be a big adjustment for the both of you.
Our relationships with family and friends change overtime, which is completely normal. Almost half of carers report facing difficulties in their relationships because of new responsibilities, but relationships have their ups and downs regardless, even without the extra stress of becoming a carer.
Overwhelmed or overextended family caregivers often lose their sense of self; it’s not easy to choose between competing priorities within family life.
Strategies to balance caregiving responsibilities with family life can include:
- Set firm boundaries
- Take time out for self-care
- Establish a schedule
- Learn the art of delegating
- Stay organised
- Embrace your limitations
- Don’t let guilt overcome you
- Be present
- Communicate openly with everyone
- Understand you can’t do it all
- Ask for help when you need it
Pros and Cons of Being a Full-Time Carer
Being a carer for a loved one can be a difficult job at times, but it can bring you and your loved one closer together.
Undertaking the role of a carer means direct conversations are needed, which can bond you together, allowing you to focus on the important things in life.
However, most full-time carers may feel a financial sting as they have less money than when they were working, some will lose their occupational pension and some notice their social contact diminishing.
Financial Compensation and Support for Carers
The costs and fees that arise when you become a carer are often unforeseen, and if you are working less to care for your loved one before choosing to become a full-time carer, it can be tricky to navigate.
However, providing care at home can entitle you to financial benefits and support to help with the costs of being a carer.
Here are the carer’s benefits that you could be entitled to and how you can get them:
Carer’s Allowance
You’ll likely be eligible for a carer’s allowance if:
The person you care for must already get one of these benefits:
- Personal Independence Payment
- Disability Living Allowance
- Attendance Allowance
- Constant Attendance Allowance
- Armed Forces Independence Payment
- Adult Disability Payment
- You spend at least 35 hours a week caring for a disabled person
- You don’t earn more than £132 a week (after deductions)
- You aren’t in full-time education
The carer’s allowance is worth £81.90 per week from April 2024 to 2025 and is paid every four weeks. You can claim for it via gov.uk.
In Scotland, you can also get a Carer’s Allowance supplement which increases the Carer’s Allowance by 13%. If you are eligible, you will receive a payment in June and December.
Carer’s Credit
Carer’s Credit is a weekly Class 3 National Insurance credit for carers, protecting your future entitlement to State Pension and bereavement benefits.
You will be eligible for Carer’s Credit if you look after one or more people for at least 20 hours a week, and you are aged over 16. The family member you care for will need to claim:
- The daily living component of Personal Independence Payment (at either rate)
- Disability Living Allowance (care component at the middle or highest rate)
- Attendance Allowance (at any rate)
- Constant Attendance Allowance (at any rate)
- Armed Forces Independence Payment
Carer Premium
The Carer Premium is additional money paid on top of other benefits you may be claiming.
The benefits you can get a carer premium added to are:
- Universal Credit
- Income Support
- Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Employment Support Allowance
- Housing Benefit
- Pension Credit
- Tax Credits
- Council Tax Support or Reduction
The carer premium is £45.60 a week for 2024/25 but is paid at £198.31 a month for people on Universal Credit.
Frequently Asked Questions