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Awareness campaign

Disability, loss of independence: what measures are available to support carers?

Publié le 30 septembre 2024 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

You may be a caregiver even if you don't consider yourself a caregiver. In France, 1 in 5 people accompany a loved one in a situation of illness, disability or loss of independence. According to the High Authority for Health (HAS), it is not uncommon for people to become caregivers without knowing and being aware of the repercussions on their lives. A nationwide campaign, running until 20 October 2024, is raising awareness about the day-to-day lives of carers and taking stock of all the measures in place to support them.

Caregivers accompany a person in their circle because of their state of health, disability or age; they are not professional caregivers or volunteers present through an association alongside the person being helped. These may include:

the spouse;
the partner with whom the assisted person has entered into a civil solidarity pact (CIVIL PARTNERSHIPS), or his or her partner;
a parent;
a person residing with the person being assisted or having close and stable ties with him or her, such as a neighbor or friend.

As part of the national awareness campaign on the role of carers, conducted from September 22 to October 20, 2024, the digital space aide.gouv.fr is highlighted, including a list of the different devices that you can use as a caregiver, depending on your profile:

young caregiver;
parent of a sick or disabled child;
close to a dependent elderly person;
assisting in active employment;
retired caregiver.

Among the devices that are presented within the space aide.gouv.fr:

the daily caregiving allowance (AJPA), a replacement income for carers of persons with disabilities or loss of autonomy who are forced to reduce or temporarily cease their professional activity;
Custom Autonomy Allowance (APA), conditional financial assistance to a person over 60 years of age who is losing independence, which may be used, inter alia, to pay a (non-spouse) caregiver and to help finance the respite needs of that caregiver;
a list of training courses carers of elderly people who are losing their independence;
dedicated crisis lines with people trained to listen to you and support you psychologically in your role as caregivers;
a list of events dedicated to caregivers (conferences, training courses, support groups...) that may interest you, listed according to your location;
the respite solutions guide to better identify and understand the different types of offers that exist in this area;
possible study design for students accompanying a loved one.