Life After Caring 

Over time your caring role is likely to change and may come to an end. Whatever the circumstances, changes to your caring role may bring very mixed emotions. We can support you through transitions, to prepare for endings and in the immediate aftermath of the event.

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Parent Carers

Carers of East Lothian provide support for Parent Carers. A Parent Carer is an adult who provides care for a child with additional support needs for whom they have parental responsibility. We can provide support to Parent Carers even if a medical diagnosis has not been given.

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Money and Benefits

We support carers and the people they care for to understand their financial options and to claim the Benefits they are entitled to. We can assist with completing forms, give advice on how to maximise income and explain what your options are if you think you might have to give up work in order to care for a friend or family member.

Mental Health

Mental health problems affects one person in three in Scotland. Mental Health Carers can be very isolated and struggle to cope with their loved one’s depression or erratic behaviour. We have a dedicated worker to support Mental Health Carers.

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Power of Attorney

Power of Attorney is important for people who are becoming less able. It can allow a friend or family member to manage their affairs and make decisions when they are no longer able to do so. We can provide information and help complete forms for FREE.

Support Groups and Workshops

We run a range of monthly support groups for carers across East Lothian and regular workshops and events to help ensure carers have the information they need. All these are friendly and welcoming and a good chance to meet other carers.

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Shadow
Image: Tracy Anderson

Over time your caring role is likely to change and may come to an end. Whatever the circumstances, changes to your caring role may bring very mixed emotions. We can support you through transitions, to prepare for endings and in the immediate aftermath of the event.

Read more…

Image: Louise Anne Kennedy

Carers of East Lothian provide support for Parent Carers. A Parent Carer is an adult who provides care for a child with additional support needs for whom they have parental responsibility. We can provide support to Parent Carers even if a medical diagnosis has not been given.

Read more…

Image: Katarzyna Grabowskaa

We support carers and the people they care for to understand their financial options and to claim the Benefits they are entitled to. We can assist with completing forms, give advice on how to maximise income and explain what your options are if you think you might have to give up work in order to care for a friend or family member.

Image: Claire Mcdean

Mental health problems affects one person in three in Scotland. Mental Health Carers can be very isolated and struggle to cope with their loved one’s depression or erratic behaviour. We have a dedicated worker to support Mental Health Carers.

Read more…

Power of attorney

Power of Attorney is important for people who are becoming less able. It can allow a friend or family member to manage their affairs and make decisions when they are no longer able to do so. We can provide information and help complete forms for FREE.

Shadow

Carers of East Lothian (CoEL) focuses on supporting carers so that they can continue to care for others. We can provide anything from a bit of practical advice when needed through to much more support for carers who are struggling to cope with the physical and emotional demands of caring for someone on a full time basis.

Our aims are to support all adults in a caring situation in East Lothian to get information and services to help their individual caring role, enhance their own wellbeing and strengthen their collective voice to improve services.

What we do

Who are carers?

Carers are people who provide help and support to a friend, neighbour or relative who could not manage otherwise because they are frail, have a long term illness or disability.

How we can help

Carers of East Lothian supports all adults in a caring situation in East Lothian to get information and services to help their individual caring role, enhance their own wellbeing, and strengthen their collective voice to improve services.

Our latest news

by

wpmaintain

Welcome to the Winter edition of the Carers of East Lothian Newsletter. Our newsletter is for unpaid carers and is issued three times a year. We hope that the newsletter keeps you up to date with relevant and important information for unpaid carers as well as keeping you in the loop about what we are …

Testimonials

Quick and helpful response with no fuss. Excellent service
I feel very well supported and have been impressed with the service.
I first contacted COEL some 4 years ago when my husband was first diagnosed with Alzheimers and got excellent advice and help. I have been able to cope this far but feel I will need further support very soon with respite care for him.
Lifeline for carers. The support groups are a chance to share information and talk about problems.

Support contacts

If you need urgent support, the following contacts may be able to help:

Medical advice when your GP practice is closed and you cannot wait until they are open.  

 111 

www.nhs24.scot 

01875 824309  (Telephone Contact Centre, office hours)

  communityaccess@eastlothian.gov.uk

The Emergency Social Work Service (ESWS) provides an emergency social work service for situations that can’t wait until social work office hours.

In an emergency situation outside our social work office hours, please call (Freephone) 0800 731 6969.

A confidential phone and web-based service for people with low mood, depression or anxiety.

0800 83 85 87

https://breathingspace.scot

Talk any time you like, in your own way, and off the record – about whatever’s getting to you.

0845 790 90 90

https://www.samaritans.org/?nation=scotland