A MOOD monitor is helping carers in Warwickshire.
Care Companion, designed at the University of Warwick, is a website to support carers of older people in the UK.
The free -to-use site allows users to record their mood to ensure they can stay on top of their own mental health as well as a diary to keep on top of appointments and the ability to log results and notes. The website can also help with advice and guidance on how to deal with scenarios they may face while caring for others.
And it was recently presented to care minister Caroline Dinenage at Westminster, by Warwickshire County Council’s carer commissioner Melanie Adekale, Professor Jeremy Dale from Warwick Medical School and Global Initiative software designer Chris Sinclair.
The team is hoping the resource will be promoted by other authorities across the UK.
Professor Dale said: “We had a very informative and fruitful discussion with the Minister of State for Social Care, who took great interest in Care Companion and the positive feedback that we’ve received from the many carers who have found it invaluable in helping them adapt to their caring responsibilities. Our next step is to take its success nationwide and our discussions with the minister on how the Department of Health and Social Care could be involved in that showed great promise for the future.”
County council leader Izzi Seccombe added: “What we have in the online tool is a way in which people who have caring responsibilities can take five minutes for themselves to reflect on their day and gather their thoughts. For many carers their responsibilities often leave them isolated without knowledge of what support is out there. However, Care Companion can connect them to local services and provide reliable information about the condition of the person they care for.
“Warwickshire County Council and its partners are committed to helping people with a caring responsibility by providing them with as much information and support as possible.”
Visit www.carecompanion.org.uk for more information and to register.
