2C Support carers, families and friends to maximise ongoing support

Carers, families and friends often provide a significant amount of care and support to a person. This can include providing physical, emotional, social and practical advice and support to assist the person in many different ways. Support through various services such as short- and long-term respite care, discretionary funding, advice and information services, counselling, transition planning, in-home support services and packaged funding arrangements can all help ensure the existing care arrangements are able to continue. For many people, this means they are able to continue living in their preferred location (often the family home) and are able to plan and direct their own care and support. Relationships between the person and their carer, family and friends can be maintained more easily and the person is able to continue to live and enjoy active participation within their own community.

Some approaches to help maximise ongoing support for carers, families and friends include the following – check which might be applicable for people receiving support services.