Respite For Carers?

[MaruMaro]

I know that if you have a mental illness you can get respite, for example staying in a place that will look after the person for a while, but what about carers they need breaks too, im a carer of my mam and have been nearly my entire life, since ive gotten alot more mature and older it seems to get harder to cope i could do with a break, even just a week would be nice, does anyone know of any kind of services like this, charities or programmes run by the NHS?

 

[saffron]

Hi
In this area they do a scheme called family and friends, and these are volunteers who help so carers can have some time off. I think if yoiu go to your GP or CAB they may be able to tell you of something similar in your area. i have just found this article, maybe of help: http://www.durham.gov.uk/durhamcc/pressrel.nsf/Web+Releases/A805CC4FBB9BEFBE802572F000352D4E?OpenDocument and this: http://www.health-promotion.cdd.nhs.uk/index.cfm?Articleid=6280 and this: http://www.durhampps.co.uk/carers.html
Hope this helps
S

 

[ramboghettouk]

i'm mentally ill but have never had respite, maybe once when i was harrassed, social services were refusing to help so a rethink advocate got me a week in a rethink respite place, later heard from my local rethink that they had got moneu for anyone in the borough to get respite there, felt a bit funny about how rethink had used my situation to get large funding for their place, money like that given direct i'm convinced would make a big difference to my life

 

[MaruMaro]

i'm mentally ill but have never had respite, maybe once when i was harrassed, social services were refusing to help so a rethink advocate got me a week in a rethink respite place, later heard from my local rethink that they had got moneu for anyone in the borough to get respite there, felt a bit funny about how rethink had used my situation to get large funding for their place, money like that given direct i'm convinced would make a big difference to my life

Well my mam had care for a while at a hospital, it was more like a home for the elderly really, where i come from if she wants to have people look after her for a while they will do, but im wondering why there is no opportunitys for carers to have a break it is very stressful and can sometimes feel like you have the condition yourself, however having said this im not entirely sure that my mam can get this kind of care without a referal of some sort

 

[shaun3210]

Hi MaruMaro I was the long term carer for my mum, while my mum didn’t have mental illness problems as such the older she got the harder it was for her to be left on her own so I suppose that could have been considered one in the last few years as it became a issue on the level of care she needed.

Can I ask has your mum got a social worker? If she has I would talk to them first I know from experience getting respite cover from social services can be hard work but not impossible.

Point out that you’re the main carer and need help as its getting a bit much to do it 24/7, if you just ask for help you will most likely get a straight “no”, so you have to play them at there own game and point out your fearing for your ability to carry on caring for your mum in the long term and see what they have to say.

 

[Apotheosis]

I've had mental illness 20 years - & I've never had 'respite' either.

 

[bellbell]

Hey, my family were the carers of my grandmother for most of my teenage years, and tbh, its really, really hard to get decent respite care.

My advice would be to get onto as many charities as you can possibly find, I'm not sure how old your mother is, but age concern give 'sitting' services; its usually only for an hour or so, but it's time out of the house.

You can also get home carers to look after your mum if you go on holiday, but they can be expensive - I'm unsure of the funding, but you might be able to get some help. If there are carers agencies near you ring around and see if they can give any advice. - be careful, if you can 'afford' to hire a carer for a week (even if you've saved all year for it, along with your holiday) the social may say you have means to fund everything for yourself. I may be over-reacting, but in my experience they need to keep their costs down, and will do in any way possible.

Take care

 

[ramboghettouk]

i agree they have to keep costs down and will do it in any way possible, i think they'd gas me tomorrow if it was cost effective and we hadn't won a war on the grounds hitler was a baddy for gassing people

 

[maudikie]

Carer's Assessment of need.

In my opinion your mum should have an assessmennt, and also there should be a Carer's assessment of need. This could be a variety of things, including a weekly break. Ask your Mental Health team for advice. Or contact Social Services.