Carers for vulnerable people and the elderly have been on the front-line during the pandemic, often putting themselves at risk in order to ensure the health and wellbeing of the people they support.
In addition to the fear and anxiety around passing the infection on to the person they care for, the level of support most carers have to provide has increased. Tasks that someone may previously have been able to complete themselves such as shopping or collecting prescriptions now fall to carers, increasing the workload of an already physically and emotionally demanding role.
Many people will also be providing care to a friend or family member for the first time as a result of the pandemic. Juggling these new responsibilities with other demands on their time can be stressful. Life for people who receive care has also changed. Restrictions, particularly for elderly and vulnerable people, may mean they feel less confident going out on their own. And if they're unable to see friends and family in person this can be hard, especially if they live alone.
As high-risk groups may need to continue to be extra-cautious for the time being, carers and people who receive care may continue to face these challenges, even as some restrictions lift for others.
We care because you do. Even if you're not sure what support you need, or whether CABA can help, please get in touch.
All of our services are free and strictly confidential. They’re available to all past and present ICAEW members, ACA students, past and present ICAEW staff and their close family.
Click here for more information on who is eligible for our support.
We’ll help you work out what benefits you can claim as a carer or someone who receives care and support you with your applications.
Living outside of the UK? We can help you research the financial support available where you live.
SUBMIT AN ONLINE ENQUIRY FORMWe can help take the pressure off with means-tested* monthly grants to cover a shortfall in income and expenditure and one-off donations for things like repairs, household items, funeral costs, care costs including home adaptations, and more.
If you live overseas, we may also be able to provide financial support towards the costs of medical care and treatment.
*All of our financial assistance is means-tested. That means we take your income, capital, assets and expenditure into account when awarding financial support.
SUBMIT AN ONLINE ENQUIRY FORMWe can help you arrange an occupational therapy assessment to explore how aids and adaptations might help you remain safe and independent in your own home. We may even be able to help pay for recommended home adaptations or specialist equipment.
Occupational therapy assessments are available in some countries outside of the UK.
SUBMIT AN ONLINE ENQUIRY FORMSupporting someone with dementia is difficult at the best of times. But with established routines harder to maintain as things change in response to the pandemic, this may have become even more challenging. We work in partnership with the Admiral Nurses at Dementia UK to offer specialist emotional and practical support to families living with dementia.
Support for people with dementia is currently available in the UK only.
SUBMIT AN ONLINE ENQUIRY FORMWe know that more people than ever are feeling isolated as a result of the lockdowns put in place. If you’re aged 60 and over and feeling lonely, we can introduce you to an Age UK befriender. You can chat, swap stories and spend time on the phone each week.
Telephone friendship service is currently available in the UK only.
SUBMIT AN ONLINE ENQUIRY FORMThe disruption to established support services and daily routines has had a big impact on people on the autism spectrum and their families. We've teamed up with The National Autistic Society to provide expert emotional support, education rights advice, and more.
Support for people with autism is currently available in the UK only.
SUBMIT AN ONLINE ENQUIRY FORMUse these self-help tools to look after your own wellbeing and that of the person you care for.
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Equip yourself with the skills and knowledge you need to take care of your wellbeing.
Our free personal and professional development courses are available to past and present ICAEW members, ACA students, ICAEW staff and their close families. Following government guidance on Covid-19, we're not running our face-to-face courses until further notice, but you can always access our free courses online.
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Caring is something that will affect all of us, one way or another, whether we become carers ourselves, receive care or need to support someone who is a carer.
Understanding the impact caring can have on someone’s personal wellbeing will ensure that when the time comes, we’re all able to look after the people that matter most.
For more support and information on being a carer, receiving care, or supporting someone else who is a carer visit cabacare.org.uk
‘What I like about CABA is that if they don't know something, they go and find out. They know where to get the best advice. Their efficiency really takes the stress away and the relief was enormous. Just to know that there's someone you can turn to.’
Andy
We support ACA students, past and present ICAEW members, ICAEW staff and their close families for life. But data protection regulations mean that we can only send you wellbeing advice and updates about our services if we have your permission. If you haven’t given your consent yet, click the button and complete the short form to stay up to date with everything we can do to help you and your family.