A survival guide for all those many people who are, or will be, carers


Caring for a partner, child, relative or friend can be enormously rewarding and makes a huge difference to the quality of lives of those we love. But in the same breath it can be exhausting, frustrating and very, very lonely.


Now in its fully revised and updated 3rd edition, The Carer's Handbook helps you with:


· Finding a way through the care maze: understanding who does what and how they can support you and the person you care for.
· Handling carer, community care and financial assessments.
· How to get the most from the official support services.
· Getting to grips with money matters: what you're entitled to, sources of funding, handling someone's money for them and Power of Attorney.
· Juggling caring and work: employment rights, managing caring and a job, and staying employable.
· Using outside carers and care agencies: what they do, how to choose them and working in partnership with them.
· Knowing when to keep the person you care for in their home or bring them to yours, and recognising when residential care is the best option.
· Facing the emotional side of being a carer: handling difficult and conflicting feelings.
· Being a young carer: understanding the options that are available.

Author Jane Matthews has been a carer for three elderly relatives over twenty years, and so writes this book from extensive first-hand experience. In particular, she has come to realise how important it is for carers to care for themselves during this difficult time, so she advises on what it means to practise self-care, and how to maintain healthy relationships with your family when you become a carer.