Support for Carers/Relatives

Financial Support

If you are caring for somebody at home who has a Brain Tumour you may be entitled to some financial assistance. The Department of Social Protection offers a number of different payments to those who meet certain criteria. The payments they offer include:

Carers Allowance Payment

The Carer’s Allowance is a payment for carers on low incomes who look after people in need of full-time care and attention. If you satisfy a means test, and are caring full-time for someone who needs constant care and attention, then you may be entitled to a Carer’s Allowance from the Department of Social Protection.

To apply fill in an application form for Carers Allowance. This form is available from your local Social Welfare Office or is available to download at www.welfare.ie

Carers Benefit Payment

Carer’s Benefit is a payment made to employees who have paid adequate social insurance, but who leave the workforce to care for a person(s) in need of full-time care and attention.

To apply fill in an application form for Carers Benefit. This form is available from your local Social Welfare Office or is available to download at www.welfare.ie

Carers Support Grant (formerly called Respite Care Grant)

The Carer’s Support Grant is an annual payment made to carers by the Department of Social Protection. The name was changed in 2016. It was formerly called the Respite Care Grant.

For more information or to send completed application forms contact:
Department of Social Protection, Carer’s Benefit Section, Social Welfare Services Office, Government Buildings, Ballinalee Road, Longford, Ireland.

Tel:(043) 334 0000 | Locall:1890 92 77 70 | Homepage: http://www.welfare.ie

Practical Support

Caring for someone with a terminal illness can be a fulfilling experience but it can also be a challenging journey. If you feel you need to talk to someone or need advice there are a number of people who you can contact including your GP, Public Health nurse or the hospital/hospice Social Worker. Caring for somebody at home with a Brain Tumour can sometimes mean big changes to your life too and it is important that you know you are not alone and that support is out there if you need it. Don’t be afraid to ask. Some practical supports on offer in Ireland include:

Training

Training has been identified as one of the primary supports of practical benefit to carers.

Family Carers Ireland provides a range of training courses to provide the learner with all the practical skills and knowledge required to deliver high quality care both in the home and in other care related environments.

See here for more information.

They also provide a range of workshops which are run whenever there is sufficient demand. These workshops include: Stoma Care; Diabetes; Continence Management; Challenging Behaviour; Falls, Prevention and Management; Elder Abuse; Infection, Prevention & Control; Peg Feeding; Patient Moving and Handling; Assisting Skills; Health & Safety in the home.

To book a course contact their Training Team on 057 9370221 or email training@familycarers.ie

Psychological Support

Caring for someone with an illness can be a fulfilling experience but it can also be challenging.

If you feel you need to talk to someone or need advice, there are a number of people who you can contact including your GP, Public Health Nurse or the hospital/hospice Social Worker.

The Irish Brain Tumour Support Group supports carers as well as brain tumour patients with meetings in Dublin, Cork and also in Galway with support from Cancer Care West.

See here for more information.

Family Carers Ireland

Family Carers Ireland have a confidential Careline. Freephone 1800 24 07 24 to talk to their experienced and trained staff.

They will listen to your concerns and offer practical advice on a range of topics, including supports and services available from your Local Authority, HSE or offered by Family Carres Ireland in your area.

They have a number of local centres around the country.

Their website is www.familycarers.ie and you can find your local centre here.

Care Lines

The Irish Cancer Society runs a helpline that is open to carers, family members and friends of anyone who has been diagnosed with cancer. You can Freephone 1800 200 700 to talk to a specialist cancer nurse. It is open Monday-Thursday from 9am to 7pm and Friday from 9am to 5pm.

The Carers Association also offers a Care Line. Just Freefone 1800 24 07 24 to talk to one of their staff. They will listen to your concerns and offer practical advice on a range of topics. The careline is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 1pm.

Counselling

The Irish Cancer Society offers a one to one counselling service. This service is available for all patients who have had a cancer diagnosis, their family members and significant others (a partner or friend).

You can make an appointment with an Irish Cancer Society counsellors across Ireland. Call the numbers listed here to make your appointment.

Dublin – Arc Cancer Support Centre: 01 830 7333
Letterkenny/Donegal – Sligo Cancer Support Centre: 071 917 0399
Mayo – Mayo Cancer Support Association: 094 903 8407
Cork – Cork ARC House: 021 427 6688
Louth – Gary Kelly Centre: 041 980 5100
Wexford – Hope Centre: 053 923 8555
Laois – Cuisle Centre: 057 868 1492
Limerick – Cancer Information and Support Centre: 061 48 5163
Sligo – Sligo Cancer Support Centre: 071 917 0399

Other Support

Homecare

When someone is facing imminent death they may choose to remain in their home if this is possible. For those who do make this decision, the services of the Specialist Community Palliative Home Care Team are very important. The Specialist Palliative Home Care team aims to support those who choose to be cared for and sometimes die in their own homes. This service may also sometimes be provided in community hospitals and nursing homes. However, whether you are at home, in a nursing home or in a community hospital, the patient’s family doctor will still have overall responsibility for monitoring and supervising their medical care. The specialist palliative care nurse will work with him/her, the public health nurse and others to care for and support the patient and carers. The focus is on helping the patient achieve the best possible quality of Life. In addition to the above service The Irish Cancer Society also offers a night nursing service to people with cancer who are in the last days of their life, and this can be accessed via the public health nurse or specialist home care team.

Inpatient Hospice Care

Where Patients have requested not to remain at home or where patients require complex symptom management it may be considered appropriate to refer them for admission to the Specialist Hospice Inpatient unit. A list of Hospices in Ireland can be found o The Irish Hospice Foundation Website www.hospice-foundation.ie. For more information on these services or to request a referral speak to your GP or Public Health Nurse.

Bereavement

The Citizens Information Service offers excellent guidance on the practicalities of coping with the death of someone. It covers areas such as registering a death, organizing funerals and burials etc.. For more information follow the link “When Someone Dies in Ireland” or contact your local Citizen Information Office.

Bereavement Support

There are many bereavement services and support groups throughout the country, both public and private, professional and voluntary, religious and secular. If you have concerns or find it hard to cope, contact your GP or your specialist palliative care service.

A useful booklet called Bereavement –

Information for those Affected by Bereavement is available from the Citizens Information Board by calling 1800 777 121. I

The Irish Hospice Foundation have also provided a series of short, simple information leaflets aimed at the bereaved and those who support them.