Ceredigion County Council website

Support for unpaid carers while the person they care for is in hospital and on discharge or transfer of care

When someone goes into or leaves the hospital, it can be tough for families. You might suddenly become an unpaid carer or face new challenges when the person you have been caring for comes home. There might be lots of meetings, hard decisions, and confusing paperwork. It's easy to feel left out or unappreciated for your help, both at the hospital and at home.

Sometimes, the unpaid carer might be the one in the hospital or needing treatment. If you’re expecting a hospital stay or surgery and worried about your caregiving duties, you’re not alone. You might feel like you need to leave the hospital early to care for someone else or take care of them immediately after you're discharged, which can make it hard for you to recover.

What can you do?

• Tell hospital staff that you are an unpaid carer - Make sure the hospital staff knows about the care you provide and tell them if you're worried about managing care when the person you care for leaves the hospital.
• Make a plan - Think about what would happen if you couldn’t provide care. What do you need to make sure both you and the person you're caring for are safe and well?
• Talk to a Carer Officer - If you or the person you're caring for is going into hospital or is already there, each hospital has a Carer Officer. They can help you discuss your situation, make a plan, and find the support you need. Carer Officer Contact details:
  • Ceredigion: Gofalwyr Ceredigion Carers 03330 143377
  • Carmarthenshire: Carers Trust Crossroads West Wales 0300 0200 002
  • Pembrokeshire: Adfeiriad 01437 611002
• Get a Carer’s Needs Assessment - This helps figure out what support you and the person you care for might need. This can be done at the same time as the assessment for the person you’re taking care of.
• Reach out for help - If you or the person you care for is already home from the hospital and you need more support, contact your outreach worker or the First Point of Contact Team on 03330 143 377.
• If the situation is urgent - If you are unable to provide care and the person you are responsible for cannot manage on their own, contact Porth Gofal Social Services right away on 01545 574000 (Monday to Thursday, 8:45am - 5pm and Friday 8:45am – 4:30pm) or on 0300 456 3554 for Emergency out of hours service.

Please watch the video below for one carer’s experience of the support he received from the Carers Discharge Service.