Most of us will find ourselves caring for a loved one – or being cared for by one – at some point in our lives. The person we’re supporting might be a parent, partner, child or a friend who needs help, for reasons including illness, frailty, disability, mental health problems or addiction.
The care being provided might be personal care, emotional support or help with daily activities like doing the shopping. If this describes the kind of thing you’re doing, then you’re what is sometimes called an ‘unpaid carer’ and you deserve support.
Many carers don’t think of themselves as carers and just ‘get on with it’. Caring can of course be truly rewarding. But statistics show that looking after a loved one can lead to enormous challenges, including emotional strain, social isolation and extreme financial hardship.
The Carers’ Centre in Bath is a small local charity, providing a supportive community and range of services to help carers. It currently supports nearly 6,000 adult carers and almost 1,000 young carers; estimates suggest that the need is much greater and that there are at least 20,000 unpaid carers in the region, quietly doing extraordinary work every day.
All the support The Carers’ Centre offers is free, practical and emotional. It includes:
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A friendly, confidential support line
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Guidance on accessing financial and local support
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Wellbeing activities and peer groups for connection and self-care
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Support for carers of all ages, from children as young as five, who might be looking after a parent or guardian, to the very elderly.
Most importantly, perhaps, it offers unpaid carers the security of knowing there is somewhere to go when they need help. No matter where you are on your caring journey – whether you’ve just started or have been caring for years.
When the chips are down – and let’s be frank, the cost of living crisis has made life harder for so many people – it’s can seem easier to keep your head down than to ask for help.
Many of us feel uncomfortable about asking for help, because they feel that someone else needs it more.
But The Carers’ Centre freephone helpline really is for any carer who needs some support. The simple act of speaking to someone who understands can make life feel a little lighter. Joining an activity with other carers can create a way of carving out a little bit of time for yourself, among people who ‘get it’, without requiring explanations.
The Carers’ Centre also has a special advisor, Charlie, who can talk people who are worried about their finances, to make sure they are accessing the support and grants available to them.
Claire is a mum caring for her two children, one of whom has additional needs. She’s been taking part in Carer Centre activities for some time and has become a volunteer there. She’s found the benefits of ‘belonging’ and making connections with other carers, invaluable.
“Dealing with my children’s mental health needs can be isolating,” she says. “The Carers’ Centre offers me time for myself where I can talk to other parents living with the same problems. It makes such a difference.’
If you’re caring for someone and feeling in need of some support, or if you know someone you think does, you can
- call The Carers’ Centre support line on 0800 0388 885, Monday to Friday, 9am – 1pm
- email email hidden; JavaScript is required
- or register via the forms on their website: www.banescarerscentre.org.uk
