Becoming a carer can happen over time or unexpectedly, for many reasons including long-term illness or a new diagnosis.
For unpaid carers that will often mean supporting people in their family. It can be a privilege to support somebody; but it also brings challenges like not finding time for yourself, and struggling to keep up with work or other responsibilities. This can feel overwhelming, but the good news is there’s lots of support available for carers.
Carers Assessment
If you are one of the county’s estimated 69,000+ carers, you might not be aware of your rights – especially if you’ve become an unpaid carer unexpectedly.
For example, are you aware of the Carer’s Assessment? This is a simple chat about how caring for someone affects your own health, wellbeing, and daily life, and to determine what support you may need.
You can ask Adult Social Care for one if you are looking after someone who can’t manage without your help and they live in East Sussex or you can complete the Carer’s Assessment online.
Carers Rights Day
By knowing your rights, carers can continue doing the vital role we all know they play in the person’s life they’re supporting, and in society.
Being a carer for someone who couldn’t manage without you is such an important thing to do. That’s why we’re sharing Carers Rights Day’s theme of ‘Know your rights, use your rights’.
Carers Rights Day on 20 November brings together organisations to help unpaid carers know their rights and find out how to get the support they are entitled to.
For example, did you know you can tell your GP you’re a carer to get extra support, health checks and vaccinations, Apply for a Carers’ Card to get discounts, or arrange respite for yourself to have a break?
There are many other rights and our Carers’ Checklist and the Carers UK website, lists more.
Get support from Care for the Carers (for adult carers), Imago (for young carers) or Amaze (for parent carers or children with special educational needs or disabilities).
What are your rights?
It can be tricky knowing what rights you have as an unpaid carer, or how to make sure you get the support you’re entitled to.
These questions and more are answered on the Care for the Carers Carers Rights Day 2025 webpage.
Words from carers: giving and getting support
‘I had trained as a nurse so caring was in my blood, but it is very different caring for loved ones’, Helen tells YES.
Helen has been a carer from the age of 6, first for her mother then mother-in-law and now her husband after he was diagnosed with emphysema.
“The biggest challenges are trying to keep upbeat and enjoy as normal life as possible. I try not to be bitter as it’s not the retirement I planned for. What will be will be. I will care for him as I know he would do the same for me,’ says Helen.
Helen is just one of the 5.8 million adult carers in the UK. Each day, 12,000 more people take on a caring responsibility – that’s 4.3 million people each year. In East Sussex the number of people being supported is:
- 2,720 East Sussex parent carers supported by Amaze
- 15,000 young carers
- 11,337 adult carers supported by Care for the Carers
There are many more carers we don’t know about who’s looking after a family member.
A listening ear
Since moving to Peacehaven, Helen has received support from Care for the Carers.
“It is so important to have the listening ear of Care for the Carers. I can’t say this enough, they don’t judge,’ Helen says. ‘They can provide advice and point you in other directions, as well as give you support. Just being with other carers is often enough because you know they get it”.
Helen attends Carers O’Clock sessions. These monthly sessions are held in Eastbourne and Uckfield by Culture Shift and are commissioned through the East Sussex County Council Carers’ Hub.
“It’s a meeting place for carers to exchange ideas, support each other and just chill,’ says Helen. ‘Any time out gives you a chance to recharge the batteries and face another day. Earlier in the year we enjoyed a few days away. Despite all the arrangements it was so worth it.”
Getting support
Peter became a carer in 2017 when his wife of 57 years was diagnosed with Parkinsons. When his wife was diagnosed with MSA (Multiple System Atrophy) two years later Peter’s caring responsibilities grew, and he’s now a 24-hour carer.
He was supported to complete his Carers Assessment by East Sussex County Council.
Having the Carers Assessment led to Peter accessing respite care through Demelza, which provides day care and overnight short breaks within the hospice.
‘The biggest challenge is tackling [my wife’s] reducing mobility, as she now finds it harder to stand, plus other physical aspects of caring,’ says Peter. ‘Although there isn’t much acknowledgement of what I do, I know deep down she knows because of her positive attitude. She is very stoic.
‘The biggest joy is that I can look at her for a few moments and she will start to laugh. We’re coping with it. We’re still doing enough to look forward to tomorrow.’
Carer friendly award
The council’s Joint Community Rehabilitation (JCR) team was recently awarded ‘Carer Friendly Service’ accreditation by Care for the Carers.
The award follows a process of reviewing what each organisation does, taking positive actions to become carer friendly and completing a comprehensive set of checks.
A Carer Friendly Community means that people are aware of the reality of being an unpaid carer and the issues carers face.
Health and Social Care professionals, organisations and GP practices, alongside community and business organisations, can play a key role in being supportive and carer friendly with patients and clients who are caring for someone, as well as staff who are carers.
There are things health and social care organisations can introduce. these include implementing carer-friendly policies and practices and identifying carers at an early stage to begin pathways and referrals for further support and advice.
Care for the Carers
Almost 12,000 carers in East Sussex accessed support from Care for the Carers between April 2024 and April 2025.
They need your support now more than ever to ensure that no one is left to care alone.
You can help by donating here this Carers Rights Day.
If you would like to get involved with fundraising, please email info@cftc.org.uk to find out more.
Time for carers
The monthly Carers O’Clock project run by Culture Shift has been taking place since 2020 in Eastbourne and Uckfield.
The sessions are led by a team of artists and provide opportunities for carers to meet and enjoy creative activities together in a safe and supportive environment. Carers also get to enjoy a freshly cooked lunch and refreshments.
For more information about Culture Shift and Carers O’Clock visit www.cultureshift.org.uk
