Carers of West Lothian supports unpaid carers, including young carers from the age of 8, and disabled people in West Lothian, providing information, advice and emotional support. Our aim is to enable everyone in West Lothian to live the life they choose to live, and we do this by helping carers to balance their caring roles with their own family and social lives as well as helping disabled people gain confidence and be more informed. The unpaid carers we support look after people affected by long term illnesses and conditions including dementia, disability, mental health and addictions.
Our impact can be best expressed by hearing what our beneficiaries say about our support "Cowl has been a life changer for me, just knowing they are there for access when I need them has reduced my anxieties a lot. I will be forever grateful to them".
Our team provides a wide range of information including on carers and disabilities rights, help with care planning, navigating people around social and healthcare systems helping them to answer questions they have in their caring roles such as supporting families when a loved one needs to move into a care home.
We signpost to other local community organisations and work with partners at The Advice Shop and solicitors running Benefits and Income Maximisation and Power of Attorney clinics.
We offer counselling and support positive mental health by providing a listening ear or one to one support.
We run a number of peer support groups enabling people to come together to share lived experience as well as to make friends and have fun.
