Unpaid carers in Aberdeen could benefit from almost £200,000 of additional support if proposals are approved by the city’s Integration Joint Board (IJB) next week.
Members of the IJB – which is made up of representatives from the city council, NHS Grampian and other bodies – will be asked to approve plans to spend £189,532 over two years on an Enhanced Carer Support Service.
The scheme will seek to identify those acting as unpaid carers in the Aberdeen community as early as possible, and make sure they are offered suitable support to help them carry out their duties.
The cost of the project is within the IJB’s current Integration and Transformation Programme budget.
A number of benefits of the scheme have been highlighted in a report, which will go before the IJB meeting next Tuesday.
The report said: “This project will test the implications of identifying and supporting carers at an earlier stage, including streamlining processes and ensuring that more unpaid carers have appropriate access and support to assist them in their caring role.”
In addition, the report argues that additional support for carers could result in reduced hospital admissions, more efficient hospital discharges and greater staff morale.
The report also claims it would lead to improved care for Aberdeen pensioners, those with physical disabilities, and those in need of rehab services as a result of more hospital and social care resources being freed up.
It explained that the service would be able to help “support those who are unpaid carers to become equal partners in the planning and delivery of services, to look after their own health and to have a quality of life outside the caring role”, and would “strengthen existing community assets and resources that can help local people with their needs as they perceive them, and make it easier for people to contribute to helping others in their communities”.
If approved, the project could commence as early as October.