Hopefully you will never have to deal with a crisis as a young carer. But if you do end up facing one of these situations, it can make a vital difference if you know what you should do and who you should contact. It could even save lives.
We discuss a couple of crises that other young carers have had to face below. We explain what actions you should take and who you should get in touch with if you are in one of these situations.
What to do if the person you care for becomes unwell
If the person you care for is poorly, there are a range of different options open to you depending on what is wrong with them and how serious it is. We explain the different services available below.
You should call 999 and ask for an ambulance if it is a medical emergency. This includes if someone’s life is at risk, they are seriously injured, suicidal or have seriously harmed themselves.
Further examples of medical emergencies include:
- When someone is experiencing chest pain.
- When someone has difficulty breathing. They might be struggling to talk, making wheezing sounds or not breathing at all (i.e. their chest isn’t moving up and down and no air is coming out of their mouth).
- When someone has lost consciousness, meaning they have collapsed and you can’t wake them up or get them to move.
- When someone has a lot of bleeding that cannot be stopped.
- When you think someone might be having a heart attack or stroke. If this is the case, you should call 999 immediately as every second counts.
- When someone has been involved in a car crash or other traffic accident, been stabbed or shot, fallen from high up or had a serious head injury.
- When someone is acting very confused.
- When someone is having fits that are not stopping.
- When someone is experiencing a serious allergic reaction, including if their throat or mouth is swelling up, they are having trouble breathing, they have blue skin or lips or they have collapsed and you cannot wake them.
- When someone is severely burnt or scalded.
You can call 999 anytime. The service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days of the year. The calls are free from any phone. You can even call 999 from a locked mobile phone or if the phone has no credit.
You can call 999 even if you are a child or young person. Tell them how old you are when you call, so they know how best to support you. The person who answers the phone will stay on the phone with you and talk you through what is happening and what you should do.
In advance, you should try to memorise the address and postcode where you live and your home phone number in case you need them in an emergency. It is also a good idea to get an adult to show you how to unlock the front door in case they are not around, if you don’t already know how to do it.
When you call 999, they will ask you where you are, what number you are calling from and what has happened. They may send an ambulance to take the person who is unwell to hospital. If they do send an ambulance, do not hang up at that point as the ambulance team may have further questions for you. They may also want to give you instructions about how to give first aid until they arrive or ask you to open the door for them when they get there.
While you are waiting for the ambulance to arrive, try to stay calm and not panic. Be sure to tell them if the person’s condition changes or they move to a different location.
When the ambulance arrives, it might have blue flashing lights and a loud siren. Try not to be scared even if it is bright and noisy. The paramedics are there to help.
If you are deaf or have a problem with your hearing, you can ask for an ambulance by text instead. You will need to sign up for this service before the emergency happens though. Take a look at our guide ‘Caring for someone with hearing loss’ for details about how to register.
If you think that the person you care for is currently safe but still needs some urgent medical help or you are just not sure what to do next, then you can contact NHS 111. You can do that either by calling 111 or using their online service at 111.nhs.uk. NHS 111 is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days of the year.
They will ask what is wrong with the person you care for, direct you to the right help for the problem and give you advice about how to help them. For instance, if they decide the person you care for needs to go to A&E, they can book a timeslot for them, meaning they will have less time to wait when they get there. Or if they think they should instead be seen urgently by their GP, they can book this directly with their doctor’s surgery for you.
If you think the person you care for needs to see their GP today, then you can book them an emergency GP appointment by calling their doctor. If you are struggling to book one directly through their GP’s surgery, try using the NHS 111 service as they may be able to get one booked in on your behalf.
If the person you care for needs urgent help but it is not a life-threatening medical emergency, then they could go to their nearest urgent care centre. These include walk-in centres and minor injury units. You can find the nearest one to you on the NHS website.
The sort of conditions that can be treated in one of these centres include:
- Minor head injuries.
- Suspected broken limbs, sprains and strains.
- Minor scalds and burns.
- Cuts, grazes, bruises, rashes, bites and stings.
- Coughs, colds and high temperatures.
- Stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhoea.
- Ear, throat and skin infections.
- Eye problems.
Urgent care centres tend to have longer opening hours than GP surgeries, often including evenings and weekends. They can therefore be helpful if the doctor’s surgery is closed but the problem cannot wait until they are next open.
You do not need to call ahead or book an appointment, although some do offer this option. You do not need to be registered locally. Anyone can walk in and they will be treated. The person who is poorly will usually be seen by a nurse, but some also offer access to doctors as well.
If the problem is not life-threatening and is related to someone’s teeth, then the process is a little different than for other illnesses. You should contact their normal dentist if they have one, in the first instance. They will either see them or tell you where they can go for emergency dental work. There may be a cost for this treatment, even if it is done on the NHS. If they are not registered at a dentist, or you are not sure who their current dentist is, then contact NHS 111.
What to do if the person you care for is having a mental health crisis
If a parent, sibling or another family member is having a mental health crisis, it can be a very stressful situation. Try to stay calm, however upsetting it may be for you.
We explain below some of the possible actions you can take, and the services that are available to help both you and your relative.
If you think someone’s life is at risk, that they are suicidal meaning you think they might want to kill themselves, or you are worried they might seriously hurt themselves or someone else, then you need to contact the emergency services straight away. Call 999 and they may send an ambulance or the police or both. Tell them that your relative has mental health problems.
If you think that they are safe for now but still need some urgent support, then contact NHS 111, their GP surgery for an emergency appointment or a local urgent mental health helpline. If you would like to contact the police but it is not an emergency, then you can call 101.
You may also want to talk to another adult you trust, such as a neighbour, social worker or doctor, and explain what is happening.
If you are worried about a family member’s mental health and think they would benefit from talking to someone, you could suggest they call the Samaritans on 116 123. The Samaritans are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and their service is free. They specialise in listening to anyone who is in distress without making any judgments or telling someone what to do. You could even ask the Samaritans to arrange for one of their trained volunteers to call your relative directly if you pass on their phone number. Or if the person you care for would prefer to write down how they are feeling rather than talking to someone on the phone, they could send the Samaritans an email instead by contacting jo@samaritans.org or write them a letter to Freepost SAMARITANS LETTERS.
Alternatively, you could suggest they text SHOUT to 85258 to access a free, confidential anonymous text support service for people experiencing a crisis who are unable to cope and need some support.
If the person you are worried about is aged 35 or under, they could contact the charity Papyrus by calling 0800 068 41 41, texting 07860 039 967 or emailing pat@papyrus-uk.org. Or if they are aged 25 or under, then they could contact The Mix. This is a charity that runs a crisis text service which is open 24 hours a day, and a telephone helpline which is open between 3pm and midnight daily. Just call 0808 808 4994 or text THEMIX to 85258.
If the person who is struggling is aged over 55, they may want to get in touch with The Silver Line instead. This is a free, confidential helpline for older people, open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They can be contacted on 0800 4 70 80 90.
If the person you are worried about is a man, they may prefer to contact CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably), a service aimed specifically at men. They have a webchat service and a phone helpline, and they are open between 5pm and midnight every day. Their number is 0800 58 58 58.
When someone you care about is having a mental health crisis it can be very scary and worrying. It is normal to feel upset or angry. You might feel like it would help if you had someone to talk to as well.
You could try talking to a friend or an adult you trust such as a teacher or a family member.
Or you could talk to Childline either online or by calling 0800 1111. They are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They can help to support you through the crisis.
Many of the services that are helpful for the person you care for could also support you too. Take a look above to find the details of the Samaritans, Papyrus and The Mix, for example, all of which would be happy to help.
Online Help and Advice
Visit our online support section where we have provided advice and guidance on a range of relevant topics to help you in your caring role.