DO YOU NEED A BIT MORE SUPPORT?
For any carer who is looking after an elderly or unwell relative most of the time, a feeling of isolation and ‘lone’ responsibility is not-unusual. Despite this sensation of isolation, carers are actually part of a huge army of people caring for others at home, often unrecognised by statistics.
Officially there are around 6.5 million carers in the UK, looking after older, seriously ill or disabled family and friends, but there could be many more as many of them don’t appear in the statistics. Lots of carers simply don’t see themselves as such, in their eyes they are doing their job as a parent, spouse or partner, son or daughter, relative, friend or neighbour. If this is you, you might be missing out on services, support, advice and benefits which are available to help you.
This month National Carers Week highlights the challenges that carers face and recognise the contribution they make to families and communities throughout the UK. There is a wealth of information on their website offering support, along with information about activities and events being staged throughout the UK.
At Otus Live-in Care we come into close contact with many different types of carers every day. Our Managing Director, Paul Isaacs is a trustee of the Carers’ Support Service West Sussex http://www.carerssupport.org.uk/. It provides free, confidential and impartial information and support to carers and is well worth investigating to see where you might be able to get help.
We always seek feedback from our registered carers and appreciate that sometimes caring can be a very demanding role. The emotional stress and strain of looking after someone, not having your own quality time, and the feeling of ‘subservience’ can put a huge strain on carers who are looking after loved ones.
So often, those caring for a loved one are not aware that there is help out there. So as a carer what can you do to relieve the emotional impact of caring and take care of your own health?
- Get a free carer’s assessment.
You’re entitled to a carer’s assessment regardless of how much care you provide to someone and what your finances are. Get in touch with the social services department of your local council and ask for an assessment. You could be entitled to practical help around the home, benefits advice, support to improve your wellbeing such as a gym membership, training and travel assistance.
- Make an emergency plan
If you are worried that you might one day be unable to continue providing effective care, having an emergency plan can provide peace of mind. Document emergency helpers, have a ‘care plan’ – what care does your relative need, details of medication, GP contact details etc – so that someone else can easily step into your shoes and take responsibility if needed.
Carer’s emergency card schemes exist in some areas. When you register with the scheme you’ll receive a card identifying you as a carer. In an emergency, someone can call the number on the card and an operator will put your emergency plan into place.
- Rely on charities like The Carers’ Support Service
Your local The Carers’ Support Service provide free courses for carers. All courses are free and designed to give family and friends useful information, advice, tips and techniques to help them in their caring role. Course topics include, back care, everyday first aid, living with guilt, managing medication and catheter care.
- Organise a break to recharge your batteries
If you are starting to feel the strain, arrange a break for yourself. Do you have a relative that could take over for a weekend? Consider hiring a professional live-in carer who has experience of ‘stepping in’ to deliver all aspects and levels of care as well as running the home. Live-in carers can adapt to the client’s way of life very quickly and can deliver all levels of care, whether it be for a long term or terminal illness, the after effects of a stroke, or for someone suffering from Parkinson’s or dementia.
At Otus Live-in Care we have a lot of experience of providing live-in carers for respite care. We can provide personal carers for short and long term engagements. Call us for a no-obligation chat about respite care on 01403 710119.