Helping Carers to ‘Find a Balance’
“As a carer, it’s always difficult to find a balance in life, but the Carers Week events (9-15 June) encouraged Islington carers – to take some time out and come together with old friends and new”, said Torps Boukens, Islington Carers Hub, Team Lead.
During the week, Islington Carers enjoyed a Carers Celebration, Summer Walk and Summer Concert with Connaught Opera. There was also a ‘Finding the Balance’ workshop which was provided by NHS trainers Susan Betts and Lucia Garratt.
Finding a Balance Workshop
Sue and Lucia have a background in education, strokes and Sue is a qualified Social Worker. Their company is GB Training and Assessment Consultants Ltd and they provide training for the NHS and other organisations.
Sue and Lucia shared their top 5 tips for carers to help find a balance in life:
1. To seek support early on – there is lots of support available that you might not know about.
2. To understand the change in status for the carer and the person being cared for – emotionally this can be very difficult for everyone.
3. Accept help – we find families want to be the main carers but sometimes this is not practical or the best solution for the person being cared for.
4. Understand the impact of being a carer – you will need time for yourself, or you could also become ill.
5. Be kind to yourself – we know that carers try to make everything right, don’t strive for perfection, sometimes the best you can do is enough, you are not failing -it is okay to seek support.
Carer Lorraine reflects on the ‘Finding a Balance’ workshop
Lorraine is an Islington carer who attended the workshop. She shares looking after her Mum who has vascular dementia, with her brother. She has grown-up children herself and works part-time.
Lorraine discovered Islington Carers Hub when she was recovering from a stroke. “I saw Mum as a motivator for me getting better. Together with my brother, we look after her – we organise her meals, do washing, ironing, keep her company, and keep an eye on her.
“Mum also has emphysema and when I was first caring for her, every time she said that she didn’t feel well or couldn’t breathe, it was difficult to find a balance caring for her. I would be really stressed and worried, but I have found a way of keeping calm now. I measure her blood oxygen levels and I have got to know the ‘new Mum’, recognising what she can do and what she can’t do, living with her conditions.
“I was particularly keen to book for the Finding a Balance workshop and rearranged my work days so that I could go. It provided a number of ideas and advice that I can make use of in my caring role. They focused on how to manage stress levels and how to avoid feeling overwhelmed. They also spoke about coping mechanisms, taking time out and the importance of getting a break.
“I found the workarounds that Sue and Lucia suggested very helpful, as well as the practical things that the trainers brought to the group. For example, my Mum used to be an avid reader, and whilst this is not something she can do these days, the Talking Books that they recommended are definitely something that she could benefit from.
“Mum’s world is her bedroom and so anything that can help keep her occupied within her four walls is really helpful. I’ve done what I can to make it a nice environment for her and have decorated the room with fairy lights and planted pretty bedding plants outside her window. Another thing that I’m going to try from the workshop is getting a Lift Player. This is a music player that works by uploading the favourite music of the person you care for onto a USB stick. To access the music, you simply lift open the lid of the box – no buttons or screens involved.
“What’s next after the workshop? I’m hoping to go along to some walks with other carers and local people. I enjoy walking and find it a good way of clearing my head from everything else that’s going on in my life – its a good way of getting a break.”
