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Carers home Information & advice Specific conditions Carers assessments Have your say
Information & Advice
Local carer support services GP Care Advisers can assist you with information and advice on benefits, equipment and care services. A Care Adviser will spend at least half a day a week at every surgery across the Colchester and Tendring areas. Contact your GP Surgery to arrange to see your Care Adviser. GP Care Advisers - Tendring Area GP Care Advisers - Colchester area
Crossroads Care Tendring and Colchester offer services for carers of all ages and people with care needs. Services include personal care, respite breaks for carers, a day centre at Manningtree and a young carers group.
Essex Carers Support provide help and support for carers of all ages, financial advice, respite breaks for carers and advocacy to help ensure your views are heard.
Mersea Day Respite Centre provides carer's emotional support, information and advocacy. Run by Action for Family Carers.
North Essex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (NEPFT) Carers Leaflet for carers of people using NEPFT services.
Carers support groups and services in specific areas For advice, a chat and the opportunity to meet up with other carers. Clacton:
The Garden Room at the Community Information Centre, Rosemary Road, on the first Tuesday of every month 10am to 12.30pm. Run by Essex Carers Support. |
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Colchester:
Al-Anon family groups for those affected by someone else's drinking. Al-Anon.
Headway Carers Support Group for those caring for sufferers of brain injury including stroke.
Maryland Carers Support Group for carers of people with dementia. Run by Colchester Alzheimer's Society.
Harwich and Dovercourt:
SODA - support group for people with experience of mental health conditions, and their families/carers, in the Dovercourt area.
Harwich Fellowship for the Sick - Tel: 01255 503980. General support for patients and former patients of Harwich Hospital.
Holland-on-Sea:
Dementia Carers Support Groups provided by the Alzheimer's Society, Tendring.
Stroke Carers Group provided by Tendring Specialist Stroke Services.
Mersea Island:
Carers can get support at the Action for Family Carers Day Centre in West Mersea.
Alzheimers Mersea Island Support Group run by Alzheimer's Society, Colchester.
Mersea Island "Guardian Angels" provide befriending, transport to appointments, sitting services to give the carer a break and shopping. All services are free, available on Mersea Island only, and provided by unpaid volunteers. Donations are requested and any remaining money at the end of the year is donated to charity. Tel: 07961 322923 between 8am and 6pm, 7 days a week.
See also our page on specific conditions for carer support groups for carers and patients.
Emotional support
Health in Mind offers Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) skills to help assist people in managing mild to moderate levels of depression and anxiety. Techniques and skills can be learnt through regular "Manage your Mood" courses, computerised CBT and guided self help work over the telephone alongside the support of a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner. A new CBT Skills course specifically for carers has recently been piloted in Tiptree and Tendring regions. Health in Mind hope to extend this to other North Essex Locations in the future. "Support Time and Recovery Workers" within the service can also offer carers support with practical issues and signpost to local services.
Counselling for carers. The Stockwell Centre in Colchester provides subsidised counselling for carers.
The Samaritans is open 24 hours a day.
SODA - for people living in the Dovercourt and Harwich areas
NERIL North Essex Resource and Information Line. 0845 0900 909 (local rate) Open 4pm to 8pm - 7 days a week.
National websites
NHS Choices Carers Website
Carers UK - includes an on-line carers forum
Princess Royal Trust for Carers - includes an on-line carers forum
Direct Gov Caring for Someone
Dentists that do home visits
Mile End Dental Clinic in Colchester
Caring for older people
Clacton Family Support offers a befriending service, a home sitting service for carers, social events, day centres, and outings. Has wheelchair equipped minibuses.
Relatives and Residents Association
Age Concern Clacton Tel: 01255 473346
Age Concern Harwich. Tel: 01255 880261
Age Concern Essex Befriending Service offers support to lonely older people.
Mersea Island "Guardian Angels" provide befriending, transport to appointments, sitting services to give the carer a break and shopping. All services are free, available on Mersea Island only, and provided by unpaid volunteers. Donations are requested and any remaining money at the end of the year is donated to charity. Tel: 07961 322923 between 8am and 6pm, 7 days a week.
Harwich and District Pensiones' Association 01255 554937
Toenail cutting service, Age Concern Essex
Tendring Careline providing Telecare services "calling for help at the touch of a button"
Colchester Borough Council and Colchester Borough Homes provide a number of services that help Colchester residents aged over 60:
- The Financial services division can giver older people help and advice about all aspects of housing benefit and council tax. Tel: 01206 282300
- Swan Staying Put provides information, advice and support for older peple to repair and adapt their homes. Tel: 01277 844235
- Home Support Scheme - if you are aged 60 or over you may be able to get short term assistance with budgeting, shopping or cleaning. Tel: 282508
- Sheltered housing for older tenancts. Tel: 01206 282511
- community alarms Tel: 282277
- community safety including door chains and spy holes. Tel: 282277
- Waste services assisted collection scheme. If you have difficulty putting your refuse out on the boundary of your property.Tel: 01206 282700
- activity centres - available in Lion Walk and Ladbrooke Drive. Tel: 01206 282578.
- Health walks at Highwoods Country Park. Tel: 01206 853588
- Club 50+ at Colchester Leisure World for fitness and social activities. Tel: 282000
- Free bus pass. Tel: 01206 282329
Free electrical testing on domestic appliances to residents in Essex over the age of 65 - Call Trading Standards on 0845 603 7626 for an appointment.
Clubs and groups
See our Carers Breaks page for details of local clubs and groups
Advocacy
Home support services
Anchor Staying Put Colchester provides the Colchester Handyperson Service. It is a service for people with a disability and older people who live in the Borough of Colchester. Tel: 01206 282589
Swan Care and Repair povides a range of services that enable older and disabled people to maintain their independence. These services include: Major adaptations such as stairlifts and access showers and help and advice with repairs. Also includes a 'gardening service' and a 'home from hospital' service which can include shopping, telephone support. Tel: 01255 814 410.
Warm Homes, a free service provided by Colchester Borough Council, targets those most at risk from cold related illness, for example older people and those on low incomes in North East Essex. This organisation provides information direct to the public eg grants for insulation & heating. Email: warmhomes@colchester.gov.uk or contact Mel Rundle (Warm Homes Project Officer) on 01206 282 541.
Warm Front Scheme 0800 072 0151 gives grants to make homes warmer and more energy efficient.
Transport services
Colchester Community Transport
Harwich Connexions Transport Co-operative
Manningtree Community Transport Tel: 01206 393727
Mersea Island "Guardian Angels" Tel: 07961 322923
Frinton Sliver Circle Tel: 01255852000
Frinton Christian Community Care Tel: 01255677000
Legal advice and money
Essex Carers Support can advise you on Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance and Carers Allowance. We can help you complete the forms and deal with any queries you have.
Age Concern Colchester can offer up to 30 minutes of free legal advice provided by an independent firm of solicitors for older people living in the borough of Colchester. Age Concern also offer general help with applying for grants and benefits.
Citizens Advice Bureau, Clacton-on-Sea
Citizens Advice Bureau, Colchester
Citizens Advice Bureach, Harwich
Citizens Advice Bureau, Manningtree
Community Care Legal Advice can provide advice on community care, and answer questions about whether you will need to pay for care, what kind of care is available.
Counsel and Care provide information and advice for older people
Turn2us is a charitable service that helps people access the money available to them.
Department of Work and Pensions provide advice on all benefits and entitlements - Tel: 0800 882 200
Help with money is also provided by national websites, including NHS Choices Carers Site, the Princess Royal Trust for Carers, Carers UK and DirectGov.
Ethnic minority support
Tendring and Colchester Minority Ethnic Partnership supports black and minority ethnic people who live in the Colchester and Tendring areas. Provides information, advice and support so families can get access to local services. Holding a monthly drop-in for women and children where you can also meet other people. Can help you to fill in forms etc.
Meal delivery services
Dinners Direct , based in Wivenhoe. Tel: 01206 826681
Tiptree Hot Meals. Tel: 01621 816963
Essex County Council also provides a Meals on Wheels Service.
FREE service now available
What is it? It's a chance to sit down quietly with your local pharmacist to have a chat about your medicines.
What's it for? To help you get the best out of your medicines. It would be worth thinking beforehand about all the medicines you take and considering any questions you might wish to ask. For example, "What does this medicine do?" or "How long will I need to use this medicine?"
Volunteering
Colchester Volunteer Centre provides volunteering opportunties including "Knit-n-Natter" and Timebanking. Tel: 01206 768 930 Email: info@volunteeringdevelopment.co.uk
Community Voluntary Services Tendring
Falls Prevention Service offers volunteering opportunities.
Essex Carers Support are looking for volunteers to get to know a carer and bhild an on-going relationship with them, giving the person support and guidance when needed and helping them to speak up for themselves.
"Guardian Angels" provide befriending, transport to appointments, sitting services to give the carer a break and shopping. All services are free, available on Mersea Island only, and provided by unpaid volunteers. Tel: 07961 322923 between 8am and 6pm, 7 days a week.
Mencap Shared Care - a respite scheme that uses volunteers to spend time with someone with a learning disability. Tel: 01376 519450
The Dignity in Care Network seeks to recruit Dignity in Care Champions help drive improvements in the levels of care provided to older people in hospitals and care homes
Wheelchairs and other equipment
Dial-a-Wheelchair. Call Monday to Thursday 01206 518524. For anyone with a CO postcode requiring the short-term loan of a wheelchair. The service is free.provides advice about equipment that may make your life easier. provides information to carers on products that can promote independent living for adults and children with physical and/or sesnsory impairements.
Shopmobility – Clacton - 01255 435566. Providing powered wheelchairs to people with limited mobility who wish to shop in Clacton town centre and surrounding areas
J F Aldous (Wheelchairs), Unit H1, Plough Road Centre, lough Road, Gt Bentley - 01206 251040
North East Essex Wheelchair Service 01206 742563 Repairs – 01245 468834
Mr Mobiliser – Wheelchair Repairs 01255 435111
Library books
Library Direct provides library books to those that cannot travel to libraries in Essex. Call 01245 438438
Computers
IT Can Help is a network of volunteers who are able to offer free local computer assistance to disabled people.
Community Voluntary Services Tendring run a Silver Surfers Club for the over 50s every Monday afternoon, 2pm - 4pm.
Library Direct provides library books to those that cannot travel to libraries in Essex. Call 01245 438438 is a network of volunteers who are able to offer free local computer assistance to disabled people. Silver Surfers Club for the over 50s every Monday.
Pets
The Cinnamon Trust is a national charity for older people, people who are terminally ill and their pets. They offer you support with any issues relating to looking after your pet.
Cinema pass
The nationally recognised "Cinemas Exhibitors' Association Card" enables free entry for carers when accompanying the person they care for to the cinema. To be eligible for a card the cared for person needs to either be in receipt of Disability Living Allowance or Attendance Allowance, or be a registered blind person.
Safeguarding adults
Ask Sal Helpline. For concerns about an adult being abused.
When caring ends
The Relatives and Residents Association Essex can help with a choice of care home.
Help the Hospices provide information about caring at the end of life. They also provide a detailed booklet on caring for someone with a terminal illness, Caring Counts.
Cruse Bereavement Care
National Council for Palliative Care provides information for patients and carers on palliative care.
St Helena Hospice, Colchester.