Treat a Family Carer to a Respite Break after Christmas
If carers wrote a wish list to Santa, the chances are that top of the list would be – TIME to themselves. TIME for guilty pleasures. TIME to have relax or have fun.
Being a family carer can be a solitary experience, and never more so than around Christmas. Family may visit then, but not the rest of the year. Friends, frustrated by the frequent cancellations a carer might make because the person they care for is unwell, stop calling. The carer stops accepting invitations because it’s too difficult to manage. Before you know it they’re socially isolated and lonely. It’s not deliberate, it just happens.
Why not let the festive season be the time to rekindle that friendship, to discover how their life has changed as a carer, and how you as a friend can be there for them?
Family carers need both mental and physical respite to support their health & wellbeing; 4 out of 5 carers report that their caring role has had a negative impact on their own health. Carers Trust Cambridgeshire know this well; for the past 30 years they have been looking after carers and people of all ages, all abilities and disabilities. Being a family carer can be relentless; their responsibilities throughout the day can be endless, and for some, at night time too, leaving them exhausted and struggling to cope.
The impact can be devastating, particularly for older carers who are more likely to have health problems of their own. With an increased emphasis on caring for people at home as social care cuts begin to bite, caring for our carers has never been more important. Carers tell us that when they take a regular break, they are able to cope better, maintain the quality of care they provide for their loved one and sustain their energy levels. But many don’t invest in themselves.
We can help by providing respite breaks for family carers, enabling them to time off for shopping, to meet up with friends, see a film, have a massage, to just have time to be themselves. The range of services we provide can be a simple as signposting the carer to a day club where they can meet others in a similar situation, putting an experienced Carer Support Worker in to sit with the cared for person, or even as far as taking you all out for day trip.
Instead of buying the usual socks, CD or DVD for Christmas, you can invest in their health and wellbeing by purchasing a Gift Voucher for Care which can be redeemed for a carer’s break provided by one of our dedicated Carer Support Workers.
It is an investment that will have beneficial consequences for everyone.
Please contact us to find out more about how we support carers and to purchase your voucher (available to qualifying family carers and subject to terms and conditions). Telephone 01480 499090 or email [email protected].
