Carers, Swept Under the Carpet

[rosemary]

Written by a gentleman for Carers Rights Day

Caring can, unfortunately, have a significant negative impact on your health, relationships and prospects - something that I know all too much about. The truth is, however, that these highly damaging costs are avoidable. If only serious efforts were made to support carers before they reach breakdown, there would be far fewer cases of illness, fatigue and isolation.

read in full here
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/paul-m- ... _hp_ref=tw

[bowlingbun]

This sums up being a long term carer perfectly.

[Anne001]

Yes, a very well-written article. Should be compulsory reading for all MPS .....

[Melly1]

This is SO true. In most cases, instead of preventing burnout, social care picks up the pieces after a carer has burned out.

Melly1

[Richard_1411]

I might be a newbie to Carers UK, but I've been caring for my wife for nine years.
'Fortunately'? I'm retired and I hate to think how I could manage if I were still working.
However, we - all of us really - are on our own, and nowadays, I just get on with it. It's not right, I know, but what else can we do?
There must be lots of bumps under the carpet with all of us carers being there
Richard S

[Scally]

Caring is a sort of profession, albeit an unpaid one.
There are two sides to caring: the kindly side we present to our caree, which is hopefully caring and considerate and the 'real us', and the professional side we present to social services and the NHS, which needs to be very different.
These are hard-nosed people with tight budgets, and the only way to get what we want is to a) know our rights, and b) demand them - first nicely, but always with a velvet glove that hides an iron fist. If they don't provide what we need to sustain our human rights , then we have to up their pain. It is going to cost them a bomb if we stop caring, so let them know that this is the nuclear option, and that you are considering it.
Sadly, that is the reality. Please dont think this is about being nice, it isn't, it is about self-preservation. And sometimes it does make sense to press the nuclear option, because we cannot care 24/7 and we are stupid to imagine we can. Funnily enough, sometimes being a part-time visiting carer is actually much better than we imagine, for both parties.

[JHR57]

We have been bombarded with literature and e mails from our local tory MP along with invites to talks he is giving leading up to the coming election. I have linked this posting into a responding e mail to the aforementioned fellow and underlined that I will respond to his request once he has replied in person to my email with his own and his parties thoughts on the way forward for us lonely hard working and quickly becoming "Clapped Out Carers" we await the response and I will update the posting - BUT don't hold your breath folks we rarely get a mention from these guys LOL xx

[Londonbound]

I too have been bombarded with leaflets, wanting my vote but nothing is mentioned about social care, all the potential candiates have their own agendas, schools, traffic problems etc etc.
I will be emailing all about the social care problems, I know a lot of disabled and elderly, the help is just being cut and cut cut.

[john h]

Has anyone experienced consultations with local government and agencies? And you're feedback on the process?
Personally, I have dealt with three occasions on my experience of being a carer with Local health board, carers group and local government review (NHS Task )

[bowlingbun]

A long time ago I sat on the Strategic Planning Committee for children with special needs, alongside the heads of the relevant Social Services and Health departments. I was paid only mileage, not considered that my attendance was worth anything, whereas everyone else would be paid about £40,000. I was the "token" parent, but managed to get all sorts of things agreed and included in the plan that the others hadn't considered. I have also spoken to the local sixth form college about what it is like to be a long term carer. Also attended a number of consultation days with people in SSD at a fairly high level. Feedback said it was "very useful" but I have grave doubts about how career women in their twenties have any idea what it really means to be a long term carer. When carers were trying to tell them their reaction was almost stunned disbelief about the daily challenges we face. If they don't even understand, how can they plan services and represent us, especially with budget cuts. I often feel that "carers services" are considered a soft touch.