Making social care fair
We're fighting to make local authorities and the Department of Health do more to make sure social care is accessible and easy to claim.
Social care for people with Parkinson's can include:
- personal care
- help in the home
- aids to stay independent
- supportive environments such as day centres and residential care homes
It can also include support for carers, to help them take a break from their caring responsibilities.
The Care Act aims to help people with Parkinson's and their families in England receive fair access to social care and support when they need it.
Our 'Caring about Parkinson's' research asked people with Parkinson's, carers and Parkinson's local advisers how the social care system is working for them. It found that:
- People with Parkinson's and their carers in England aren’t aware of their local council's information about social care, or even how to ask them for an assessment.
- Parkinson's local advisers are concerned about the knowledge and understanding of Parkinson's among council staff who assess whether someone should receive social care.
- Around two thirds of local authorities that took part in our research didn't collect data about people with Parkinson's they had assessed.
Read the research
There are some simple things councils can do to make social care fair for people with Parkinson's, like making information about care easy to access and keeping in touch with their local Parkinson's group.
You can:
- send a letter to your local council about our social care campaign
- meet your councillor and ask them to do more to support people with Parkinson's
Our social care campaigns toolkit (pdf, 460KB) includes a step-by-step guide on how to run a local campaign, templates for writing to your councillor, top tips and helpful contacts.
If you'd like more information or support on building a local social care campaign, please contact us on 0207 963 9349 or email [email protected].
Find local groups, support and social activities
There is lots of in-person and online support to help you live well with Parkinson’s. Search to find your nearest local group, emotional and practical support, health and wellbeing services or social activities.
Caring for someone with Parkinson's?
Do you help care or support a partner, friend or family member with Parkinson's? We're here for you too.
Share the support you need as a carer
We want to make sure changes to the Care Act fully support carers of people with Parkinson's in England. Help our campaign by telling us about your caring experience.