I think a family member or friend might need care and support

There are lots of reasons an adult might need care and support. It might be because of an illness, a disability, frailty or if they are recovering from an accident. Sometimes people find it hard to ask for help or they’re not sure where to go to get support. If you think a family member or friend might need care and support then this page will give you an idea of what you can do and how you can support them.

How much help and support do they need?

It’s important that every adult is able to live independently and stay healthy for as long as possible. If your family member or friend needs help once or twice a week with household activities, you’ll find a list of local organisations in the Luton Directory who offer services like shopping, cleaning or help around the home. Follow this link to the Luton Directory.

If your family member or friend is unable to complete day to day activities like washing and dressing or cooking on their own then they might need care and support.

What happens if a family member or friend needs care and support?

If your family member or friend needs care and support they can get in touch with us. We’ll ask them about some of the activities they struggle with and what they might need help with. We’ll be able to let them know if they are eligible for care and support. Even if they are not eligible we’ll put them in touch with local organisations who offer the type of support they need.

If your family member or friend is unable to contact us, you can call us on their behalf. We’ll need to ask you about their care and support needs so it’s important, where possible, that you get their permission.

If they are eligible we’ll do an assessment of care needs and complete a financial assessment. You’ll find more information on each of these steps on the ‘How can I get care and support?’ page. 

I’m concerned about my family member or friend’s health

If you’re worried about a person’s health, it is important you contact their local NHS service. You’ll find a list of local NHS services on the NHS choices website.

If your family member or friend is living with a long-term health condition, the NHS ‘Your health, your way’ site has information on living with a range of long-term health conditions including asthma, diabetes and dementia. Follow this link for NHS information on living with long term health conditions.

Age UK offers advice and information to help people manage long term conditions more commonly associated with ageing including dementia, osteoporosis and hearing loss. Follow this link to visit the Age UK website.

Are you a carer?

If you support a family member or friend who couldn’t manage without your help, you could be one of the thousands of carers in Luton offering unpaid care and support.

We recognise the importance of carers and we also know it can sometimes be hard to balance your caring responsibilities with looking after your own wellbeing. If you’re a carer there are a number of ways we can support you, follow this link to find out more about being a carer.