A Norfolk charity is urging people to get in touch if they have any concerns or worries about the health or independence of elderly relatives after spending time with them at Christmas.

The festive season is often a chance for people to spend more time with family members and, as a result, they can discover that an older relative is struggling to manage, or that one parent has become a carer to another and may now need more support for themselves.

It comes as Norfolk Family Carers is getting ready to launch its Caring at a Distance programme in 2018, which aims to offer personalised support packages to those who are, for whatever reason, unable to spend much time in person with a relative who needs help.

The organisation's Jo Phillips said: 'We've been receiving calls for some time from people who live outside of Norfolk and would like more support to help care for an elderly relative who lives in the county.

'Sometimes we hear from people who live in Norfolk but are very busy in full-time work and need help to cope with some of the challenges involved in caring for a relative.

'We can offer practical support, support with money matters, advice on navigating health and social care services and much more.

'People often find themselves worrying about the well being of an elderly relative without much guidance on what to do next.

'Our family care advisors are able to make home visits to get a true picture of what a situation is like.

'They can then let you know what support might be available to help older family members remain happy, healthy and independent, where possible.'

Norfolk Family Carers has been supporting unpaid carers in the county since 1993 and has a wealth of experience in helping people who look after a friend or a relative.

They believe getting the right support at the right time is vital in helping unpaid carers continue in their caring role.

For more information about how Norfolk Family Carers can help people to get on top of their caring role, call 01603 219924.