Phyllis Tuckwell Cares for its Carers

Phyllis Tuckwell Cares for its Carers

Carers hold families together, enabling loved ones to get the most out of life, making an enormous contribution to society and saving the economy £1.8 billion pounds in Surrey alone. Yet many are stretched to the limit – juggling care with work and family life, or even struggling with poor health themselves.

Staff and volunteers at local charity Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice Care recognise the important part that family members and friends play in caring for their loved ones, and want to help and support these carers in any way they can.

“We provide a great deal of support and advice for the carers of our patients,” says Nicola Casey-Simmons, Carer Champion at Phyllis Tuckwell. “We run weekly ‘Open House’ sessions at the Hospice in Farnham on Tuesdays from 2pm to 4pm, and at the Beacon Centre in Guildford on Fridays from 10am to 12pm, which offer patients and carers the opportunity to ‘drop in’ and find out more about the services we offer. We also offer our carers Complementary Therapies such as massage and reflexology and hold a Carers Support Group once a fortnight on a Monday morning at the Beacon Centre.

Phyllis Tuckwell has developed a Carers Charter, a document that formally recognises the support it offers to its carers, and has also drawn up a Carer Support Needs Assessment Tool (CSNAT) to help carers consider what personal support they may need to help them in their caring role. CSNAT is currently being piloted and will soon be rolled out to the carers of Phyllis Tuckwell patients. Phyllis Tuckwell also works in partnership with Action for Carers and The Princess Royal Trust, both of whom offer support for carers.

For more information on the support which Phyllis Tuckwell provides for its carers, visit www.pth.org.uk/carer-support.