Communicating with health and social care professionals

As a young carer, you might need to communicate with doctors, nurses, social workers, or paid carers about the person you care for or your caring role.

This might sometimes feel a bit scary, but it’s important to remember that these people are there to help you!  Here are some top tips for communicating with professionals: 

Ask for help when you need it  

It is always okay to ask for help; professionals are there to help you! No question is a stupid question. Let someone know if you need more support for whatever reason – even if they don’t have the answer, they should be able to help you find somebody who does. 

Be clear about what help you need

Do you need something explained again, do you feel confident you understand? You are not being silly or difficult if you need to ask for more information.  

Have relevant information to hand

For example, keep a list of the cared-for person’s medications written down along with personal information like their date of birth.

Keep a diary of appointments, and the names and phone numbers of any healthcare professionals, social workers, or carers working with your family. Have all this information kept somewhere that you can access easily. 

Be open 

Sometimes it might feel awkward or uncomfortable, or even like you’re being disloyal to somebody you love if you talk openly about things at home, especially when they’re tricky. However, you must talk openly with professionals about the reality of the situation and anything you are struggling with, so they can get you the help you need.

Keep a journal 

Writing stuff down when it happens can be a great way to help clear your head, and it can also be useful to have a written record of events if you do need to give a professional a good idea of a situation or something that happened, without putting pressure on yourself to remember everything.