Carers Information
- Carers Support Service
- How to access the service
- Rethink Carers Support Service Contact
- Support Groups
- What carers have said about the service
- Blandford Support and Educational Group
- The Medication Service
- Information for people with mental health problems and their carers
Carers Support Service
Carers Support Service aims to:
- provide one to one support for carers and other family members
- provide information on all aspects of mental health problems
- Provide an advocacy role for carers. This could mean attending meetings with other professionals, tribunals and helping with complaint procedures
- Supporting carers' groups
- provide training opportunities for carers and other family members
- Helping to develop new services for carers
How to access the service
- Self referral
- via local community mental health teams (CMHT)
- via GP
Rethink Carers Support Service Contact
For South and West:
Marilyn Hills
Senior Officer
Rethink
5 Downes Street
Bridport
Dorset DT6 3JR
Telephone: 01308 459762
For North and East
Linda Little
Carers Support Worker
CMHT North Dorset
Abbey View Medical Centre
Salisbury Road
Shaftesbury
Dorset SP7 8DB
Telephone: 01747 856711
Support Groups
Weymouth, Blandford and Bridport
Carers Forum - the political arm of the service - contact:
Paddy Radford, Chair - Telephone: 01305 774262
What carers have said about the service
"The one to one support instilled confidence in me as a parent with a daughter of long-standing mental health problems. it was non-judgmental, reassuring, sympathetic and kind. I enjoyed the visits very much."
"I don't know how I could have got through without the support when things were really bad. "
"I think this is a vital service. It certainly helps to know that you are not alone. Professional support is very helpful and I found that I could talk more freely."
"We are indebted to the service for helping our family to communicate effectively with each other and with the community mental health team. Our family was able to move forward, largely due to the tireless work."
Blandford Support and Educational Group
This group is for relatives, friends and carers of people with dementia and related mental health problems. The group is based at:
Blandford Community Hospital
Community Mental Health Team (CMHT)
Milldown Unit
Milldown Road
Blandford Forum
Dorset
DT11 7DD
Telephone: 01258 456541
The Medication Service
The Medication Service provides support and information for anyone living in West Dorset receiving the acetyl cholinesterase inhibitor medicines (or "memory pills") for the treatment of alzheimer's disease.
The service is based at:
The Medication Service
Specialist Nurse
Forston Clinic
Charminster
Dorchester
Dorset DT2 9TB
Information for people with mental health problems and their carers
The leaflets below give` a guide to some of the services available from social care and health and the NHS in Dorset for people with mental health problems and their carers
- Information leaflet for people with mental health problems and their carers
- Working with Carers
- A Guide for Carers
The new NHS Dorset came into being on 1 October 2006. The Trust was formed by the merger of North Dorset Primary Care Trust, South West Dorset Primary Care Trust and South and East Dorset Primary Care Trust.
If you need to contact services provided by one of the former primary care trusts, please use the existing telephone numbers in the relevant leaflets.