Top tips for new carers, from carers
- 20.07.2016
- EmmaArnold
- None
According to Carers UK, one in eight adults in the UK - that’s around 6.5 million people - are carers. However, many of these everyday heroes provide 24-hour care for their loved ones without receiving any training or qualifications to help them.
When a loved one suffers from a devastating injury or illness, you may end up a carer without knowing how best to perform the role, adequately look after the person who needs your support, or even look after yourself with so much going on.
So we wanted to share some top tips from experts and peers to help make it that bit easier for new carers and to show that they are not alone.
Take care of yourself
Christina Macdonald is the author of the forthcoming book ‘Dementia Care: A Guide’, and cared for her late mother, Hazel, for nine years. She told us:
My tip as an experienced carer would be to make sure you have a support team of people around you. You can’t care for someone all on your own – it will destroy your mental and physical health and leave you utterly drained and possibly also depressed.
Enlist others for support - and make sure it’s reliable people whom you can trust to turn up when they say they will - whether it’s friends, family members, neighbours, professional carers whom you may hire once or twice a week to give yourself a much-needed break – anyone whom you trust to provide additional support to you and the person you are caring for. Taking regular exercise, even if it’s just a quick 15-minute walk at lunchtime, will help your mental and physical well-being.
On Twitter, user @LitDelights told us: “Make sure you make time for you. You can't effectively care for anyone else if you don't practice self-care.”
In an interview with ITV, a spokesperson for Marie Curie explains how important it is to put structure into your day to make it feel like it has more purpose and to ensure you have a healthy sleep pattern.
What’s more, they say that you should make sure you tell your doctor, friends or family if you ever feel low - caring is difficult and depression or anxiety are unfortunately not uncommon.
Join a support group
A local carers group can also help you get the support you need, as well as share your experiences and get other useful tips from those in the know.
Carers groups can be a good way to get emotional support from other carers who know what you’re going through.
You can find local groups on the Carers UK website, as well as an online forum for carers.
Check if you are entitled to financial support from your council
Marie Curie says that you can get an initial carer’s assessment “regardless of how much care you provide and what your finances are.” This assessment, arranged via a quick call to your council’s social services department, will help your local council understand whether or not it can provide you with support.
Recognise yourself as a carer…
If you think you may be one, you probably are, and recognising that makes everything that bit easier. That’s according to Carers UK forum user Henrietta.
Henrietta also has these words of wisdom:
Keep a list of contact names and useful phone numbers, use pharmacy services such as blister packs, prescription ordering and delivery services and if you are paying for outside help and it is unacceptable, change it!
Fellow Carers UK forum user Jon_1605 advises to "Get everything in writing"
Jon_1605 advises you to put any correspondence with any government agency, such as the NHS, in writing, keep a copy, and send it via the Post Office’s Signed For service.He adds:
If you have to deal with someone across a desk, face to face, make sure they (not you) write down the details, or print them out. If they ask why, tell them you need to show it to another relative, or you have a bad memory.
Are you a carer? Do you have any top tips for new carers? If so feel free to leave them in our comments section below.
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