Compass Carers Support Group, Ilchester
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In May 2017, Healthwatch Somerset attended a meeting of the Compass Carers Support Group in Ilchester to hear carers' experiences of health and social care services. The discussion explored the challenges facing unpaid carers, including access to assessments, support services and ongoing care for family members with complex needs.
Carers raised concerns about long waits for carers' assessments, delays in safeguarding responses and difficulties accessing Continuing Healthcare assessments and specialist support services. Participants also shared experiences of continence services, mental health services and hospital care, including concerns about how information for people living with dementia was used during hospital admissions. The report highlighted the impact that delays and fragmented services can have on carers and recommended that the issues raised be fed into the development of the county's new carers' service and wider work under the Somerset Commitment for Carers.