Welcome to the Relatives & Residents Association (Essex) website. What's it all about? Watch our video here!

The Relatives & Residents Association (Essex) is a new initiative which aims to provide information and support to older people and their families and friends on matters relating to residential care and the alternatives to it.

We also aim to help older people achieve the best possible quality of life following admission to a care home and to support care home staff in dealing with matters affecting the needs, rights and quality of life for individual residents.

If you are considering, looking for, or living in a care home; if you have a relative or friend who is doing so, or if you just need specialist information or expert advice about any aspect of residential care, then you are most welcome to ring our Helpline on 0845 017 7720. You will be sure of a warm welcome. The Helpline Manager and his team are there to work with you and, if necessary, help you to decide on the best course of action. The service is free and confidential and we will support you for as long as necessary to deal with the matters you need to discuss.

If you would also like to look for information on the internet, we hope you may find the “Navigator” on this site useful. There is a mass of information available, so we have tried to help you make a start by assembling links to some of the most helpful organisations and reliable information sources on the internet. These are grouped by subject under different headings on the coloured buttons at the top of each page.

The information in “the Navigator” includes both links to information provided by national organisations, both statutory and voluntary, and to the Local Authorities and other relevant organisations in Essex, Southend and Thurrock.

This website is a work-in-progress, we will be updating information on a regular basis. Please contact us if you think there are other matters we should be highlighting.

R&RA at Later life Expo

R&RA (Essex) attended this event on Wednesday 20 January 2010 at Charter Hall, Colchester. Considerable interest was shown in our stand and several visitors signed up as members.

More information at www.essex.gov.uk/laterlifeexpo or call 01245 437153.

November 2009 Newsletter

The latest issue of the R&RA (Essex) Newsletter is now available. All Newsletters