An exciting development and a new website

On August 27th, Carers 4 Carers officially became part of the charity Omega Care for Life (http://www.omega.uk.net). To members, there will be little difference but for those who organise and run the group, it will mean we now have some solid backing behind us. We have been warmly welcomed by Omega and look forward to working with them. We share their mission:

"Omega exists to tackle the wider determinants of health, including social and economic issues. We achieve this by providing access to opportunities, information and a range of other non-clinical support. We work with family care-givers, people nearing the end of life, the bereaved, socially isolated individuals, the frail and the elderly.
We welcome the opportunity to work with anyone who shares our ethos to help us:

• ·  encourage self-help and peer support

• ·  exchange important information and coping skills and encourage others to do the same

• ·  encourage the entire community to get involved in “sharing the caring”

Carers 4 Carers will continue to work autonomously and organise our own meetings in our own way, but we now have the ability to move forward and develop in ways that will make us a little different from other Carer Support Groups, ways which will really make a difference to carers.

We are delighted that Thomas Memery, the Development Director for Omega, will be with us at our next meeting on Friday 27th September, which is to be the first of a series of Carer Wellbeing workshops.

And finally, to celebrate, we have a new website which is now live - www.carers4carersonthefosse.org.uk. The blog will remain active but the main website will contain more information and a contact form is provided so that you can easily get in touch.

Coffee and Cake at Wellesbourne in August

On August 23rd, instead of our usual meetings, we took some time off and went down to the Cafe at Wellesbourne Watermill. Seven carers met for coffee and cake and a good opportunity to have a chat and catch up. It's amazing what subjects carers find to talk about but probably only carers would know that! I did take the opportunity to discuss with the group the pros and cons of joining in with another charity which would ensure the continuance of the group with administrative back-up. It was felt that it would be a good thing to do and I promised to take it further.
Thanks to Jamie and Tracey for looking after us at the Watermill.

July Meeting - July 26th

Hurray - we had decent weather - the first time ever! We even opened the outside doors to cool the room down!
This month we were into technology and how it can offer a degree of independence in the lives of carees and some peace of mind for the carer. We looked at flood detectors, magic plugs that let the water out if the tap is left running, alarms, pill minders, special telephones. You name it, it was there. Dawn and Shirley, from the Enable Me Centre in Leamington Spa, carefully explained and demonstrated the different items, showing how they can help in different instances.

There was lots of discussion, trying out of devices, and suggestions for new ones! All members went away with a useful goody bag.

June Monthly Meeting - June 22nd

True to form for us, the day of the meeting proved wet and cold and no doubt deterred some members from attending. A pity, because this month we not only had flowers on the table, but also cake!
Andy Morgan from Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service visited us and gave us a comprehensive guide to home safety. He was delighted when one of our members, a retired Fire Officer and one-time inspector, pronounced that if all the Home Safety talks were of this calibre, then Warwickshire is in good hands!
There was much interaction with what Andy had to say and, following his mention about the annual testing of Electric Blankets, Gillian agreed to contact Warwickshire Trading Standards and organise a collection of blankets from the village to save members having to go into Stratford.

Carers' Week Information and Awareness Event

June proved to be a busy month with our Carers' Week Information and Awareness Event that I first mentioned in May.  About 12 charities and organisations were on hand to help provide advice and information to carers and other members of the public.

Some of the many stands and displays at the event

At 11 o'clock we welcomed Ali Troughton, accompanied by her husband David, as our Guest Speaker. Gathered round the coffee tables,

Ali Troughton reads from The Selfish Pigs Guide to Caring

Anita offers Anne a free handmassage

Ali read two excerpts to us from The Selfish Pig's Guide to Caring by Hugh Marriot, including one which described a carer's four hour marathon, trying to get her husband out of the bath when he fell. The readings sparked some lively and useful discussion about carers, caring and disability and the varying attitudes of people who have and have not had experience of these issues.
In a small Carer Wellbeing section, Anita Swetman from Tranquil Beauty in Wellesbourne offered free hand massages and was kept busy all morning!

May meeting - Coping with Memory Loss

The group held its monthly meeting on Friday 24^th May. After a much needed time for coffee and chat, a warm welcome was extended to Wendy Harkness from the Alzheimers Society, together with her colleague Sharon Donnelly, to talk on the subject of “Coping with Memory Loss”.

The subject drew excellent attendance.  Wendy’s informative talk explained in simple terms about the different parts of the brain and what happens in the most common of the hundred different types of dementia. She explained some of the many symptoms that patients experience and how their every day lives can be affected. Inevitably, as the majority of carers attending the meeting looked after some with dementia, ideas for how to cope with these symptoms were high on the ‘wanted’ list and much anecdotal evidence, shared by both Wendy and carers, provided very practical advice.  The discussion that followed also made it clear just how important it is to make everyone aware of the symptoms of dementia, not just those who are affected by it.

Useful links on the subject of dementia:

What is dementia:  http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/documents.php?categoryID=200360

Living with dementia: http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/documents.php?categoryID=200342

Caring for a person with dementia: http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/documents.php?categoryID=200343

Carers Week - June 10th - 16th

Carers 4 Carers is holding an information and awareness event as their contribution towards Carers Week.
The theme of Carers Week this year is Prepared to Care? and asks the general public to consider whether they could cope with a caring role, especially if it happened suddenly to them.
Our event will take place on Saturday 15th June between 10a.m. and 1 p.m. at Kineton Methodist Church Hall. A number of organisations and charities will be available to talk to the general public about what support they can offer to those who care.

There will be refreshements and also some little carer 'treats', such as a short free hand massage.

Planning is still taking place but to date, organisations taking part include:

Shipston Home Nursing
Lifeline
Parkinson's UK
Age UK
Think Jessica
Independent Age
Tranquil Beauty, Wellesbourne
Tai Chi - Anne Waldon

Our May Meeting - Friday May 24th

Our next meeting looks at the problems facing carers when trying to look after those who experience memory loss.

Our visiting speaker will be Wendy Harkness, the Dementia Support Manager from the Alzheimers Society. Wendy will take us through the various symptoms of dementia and suggest strategies for coping for carers. There will be lots of opportunities to ask questions that arise out of the talk.

The meeting takes place at Kineton Methodist Church Hall as usual and starts with coffee and chat at 10.30 a.m.

This is part of the article that has been published in local newspapers hot on the heels of a very successful meeting attended by our MP, Jeremy Wright.

"The  needs of carers in rural areas were top of the agenda when local MP Jeremy Wright visited a new support group in Kineton.

A record turn-out of the Carers4Carers group on Friday (March 22) heard what the Government aims to do to make life less difficult for them and was then invited to raise issues which would provide feedback for the policymakers.

Mr Wright, the MP for Kenilworth and Southam, said: “The bill is what it says – a draft- and it is important that we listen to the views of people who are actually doing the caring so we can tailor what we do to help them as best we can.

 “The Government recognizes that if it can help carers to help people stay in their own homes for longer that will save the taxpayer billions of pounds in residential care costs.”

And Mr Wright was quick to acknowledge that carers in rural areas often faced additional problems because of isolation or remoteness.

He added: “People in rural communities are also less inclined to identify themselves as carers because they are more willing to accept caring as part of their family or community responsibility. But they need help for their own sake and we need to train GPs in rural areas to identify this and trigger the particular support they need.”

It's the Farmers' Market in Kineton tomorrow so I'm taking advantage of  it by having a stall in the Methodist Church Hall across the road. I shall have an information stand but also I'll be raising funds by selling handmade cards and biscuits.
Last week I started the Slimming World Slimathon which lasts 6 weeks. I'm doing this to try to boost my weight loss and also raise funds for Carers 4 Carers. The first week was not good.  My choir held a tea concert - The Mad Hatter's Tea Party - so not only was I making cakes, but also I defy anyone not to have a nibble from the huge array on display during the interval!  Very focussed this week!

We held our first meeting of the new year on a bitterly cold day - January 25th. Unfortunately the weather took its toll on attendance, some carers being unable to travel and others hit by illness. However, though we were few, it was a useful meeting. Amanda, cheerful as ever, came laden with freebies and piles of information.  Two topics in particular engendered lively discussion.

Amanda talked about the length of time it can take to access help from the social services and how she can help by guiding the carer through the sort of questions that will be asked during a telephone assessment for care. It was alarming to learn that it can take 10 months to reach the top of the list for help and even in a critical situation two months is not unusual.

The other topic concerned assistive technology and how a simple camera for £36 can be set up in a room and linked to a computer so that the carer can see at all times that their cared-for person is all right through their computer, tablet or phone. The freedom this can give the carer is immense and the fact that it can be done so cheaply is a real bonus. I am now pursuing an opportunity for carers to learn more about assistive technology and one of our meetings later in the year.

Various websites were mentioned that carers might find useful in their search for support and information and here are links to two of them:

http://www.carersuk.org/ - the national organisation for carer support
www.carewelluk.org -a joint organisation set up by Carers UK and Bupa to provide health support for carers.

Both websites are invaluable resources for information and contain lots of tips and strategies for coping which have come from the experiences of other carers. Additionally both websites have forums so if you have a topic you want to discuss or you can't find the answer to a question, this may be a good avenue to pursue.

Sadly one of our members lost her mother just before Christmas. I do hope the opportunity to talk about the days leading up to her mother's death and her loss helped. This emphasises how important it is that we support people who have spent a lot of time caring and now longer do so. They, in turn, when they feel able, will be able to offer a great deal to the group by sharing what they have learnt from their experiences.
As I write, the sun has eventually come out, the crocuses and snowdrops are poking up in the garden and it just goes to show how a bit of brightness can make you feel better.

If you can, try to enjoy a brisk walk in the sunshine and see how much better you feel after it.

Best wishes.

The programme for 2013 is taking shape

I've been working hard at compiling a programme of events that I hope will be of help and interest to carers. As already notified, our first meeting of the new year on January 25th will be an opportunity to meet Amanda Jerman, one of two Carer Support workers for South Warwickshire. As well as the overview she will give us regarding services and benefits for carers, this is an opportunity for you to ask Amanda questions and, if required, make arrangements for a confidential appointment.

In February, Barry Collier from Age UK will visit and talk about the many different services that the charity offers that touch on many areas of our lives.

March will be a special month for us when we will welcome Jeremy Wright, the MP for Kenilworth and Southam, which includes the Kineton area.  More information will be available about this nearer the time. Keep visiting the site!

Unfortunately, I've not been able to get so many posters out this month as I did for our launch meeting and now we have the snow, the opportunity for a trip round the the villages is looking slim. Please spread the word to any carers you know.

Looking forward to seeing next week.

A Happy New Year to all Carers

Carers 4 Carers wishes all carers, everywhere, a very peaceful New Year and 2013.

New posters will soon be appearing in Kineton and the surrounding villages.

Keep returning to this site for up-to-date information about the programme of activities for 2013. Our first meeting of the year will be on January 25th.

We now have a speaker for our first meeting on 25th January 2013.

Amanda Jerman, the Carer Support Worker for South Warwickshire from Guideposts Trust will be giving an overview of the services and benefits available to carers.  Coffee and chat will be available from 10.30 and I will introduce Amanda at about 10.50 a.m.

Well, we're off the mark and properly launched!
I was delighted that the first people to walk through the door were people I do not know. This might seem a strange thing to say but it meant that the people who came did so in response to my publicity rather than people who I'd been talking to. They came as well!
After coffee and chat, we had a useful discussion to decide what we wanted to get out of the group. We all have different kinds of caring responsibilities and care for people with a wide range of disabilities and problems.
One person talked about the situation we all face when we find ourselves in a situation which we don't know how to deal with. How useful it would be to be able to ring another carer with experience of this situation and say "How do you deal with it?" To help with this, we have decided to set up a 'telephone buddy' network so that we can do just this, or perhaps just use it to let off steam.
We also talked about the need for information. The Carers UK booklet, "Looking after someone" was available, along with a booklet of tips and strategies for the welfare of carers, produced by Carewell.
It was decided that we would meet once a month, on the fourth Friday, between 10.30 and 12 noon.  The next meeting will be Friday 25th January - no meeting in December. We hope to have a speaker for this occasion. Keep watching the blog for more information.
Finally, we also looked at the Lifebook, produced by Age UK. If you are interested in this, contact Age UK on 0845 685 1061 and quote the reference ALL721. There is a little more about the book on the Age UK website http://www.ageuk.org/lifebook .
I'll keep you posted on developments. Meanwhile, look after yourselves.

We're stepping up the publicity now in a bid to attract as many carers as possible to our meeting on Friday. I'm particularly keen to attract hidden carers; those who really don't realise they are carers because they are just naturally caring for a loved one in their family.

Just because they are doing 'what comes naturally' doesn't mean they don't have a right to a life of their own, with time for relaxation and opportunities to follow their own interests and maintain a form of paid employment.

Carers' Rights Day is all about the dissemination of information. We shall have plenty available at our first meeting, so if you are a carer, or know someone who else, please spread the word. We can put up lots of posters or hand out lots of leaflets but nothing replaces the individual, human touch in making the first approach.

Carers' Rights Day is a national awareness day, organised by the carers' charity, Carers UK.

This year, their campaign is entitled "Getting Help in Tough Times" and focusses on:

• finding financial help
• getting a helping hand
• making the most of technology

The aim is to inform carers of the rights, benefits and services they are entitled to. This includes Carers' Allowance, short breaks to recharge the batteries and technology to give them peace of mind when they are out of the house.

The Chief Executive of Carers UK said:

"Two million people take on caring responsibilities for ill and disabled loved ones each year and it often takes months or years for them to be told about the financial and practical support available to them. As a result, it is essential that carers are given the advice they need to find financial help and get a helping hand from practical services and technology available to them."

Carers UK have produced a booklet "Looking after Someone" which gives a comprehensive guide to financial and practical support available to carers. Sainsbury's have funded the provision of these booklets for those organising Carers' Rights events. The booklets will be available at the first meeting of Carers 4 Carers.

You can find out more about Carers UK and the support they provide by visiting their website: www.carersuk.org/

A week to go

It's now just  a week until we launch our new self-help group.

Did you know that there are approximately 6.4 million carers assisting sick, disabled or frailed people so that they can stay in their own homes? More than half of us will become carers at some stage during our lives.

For many of us, caring is just a part of life, looking after someone we love and probably someone who expended a lot of love and care looking after us when we were younger. It is a small wonder then, that half carers who provide substantial care actually take longer than two years to realise that they are a carer and begin to access support in some form.

This certainly happened to me. It was just a chance letter that my mother received that made me aware that there was help out there. I went along to my local Carers' Support Group (or Carers' Cafe as it was called) and the door was opened to a wealth of information that I would never have found on my own. It made a real difference.

Carers 4 Carers hits the headlines

An article about our new group appeared in the online version of the Leamington Spa Courier today. www.leamingtoncourier.co.uk/. Not long afterwards, I had a phone call from a reporter for BBC Coventry and Warwickshire. She had seen the article and wanted more information. Strange co-incidence - I had planned to contact local radio today!

In my last post I forgot to mention where we are meeting. The meeting will be held in the hall of the Methodist Church in Kineton. The address is Southam Street, Kineton CV35 0LN.

If you are reading this and you know anyone who is a caring - and chances are that you do, because there are 6.4 million of us - then do them a favour and tell them about the meeting.

Launch of new self-help carers' support group round the corner

Just ten days to go before the launch of a new self-help carer's support group for Kineton in Warwickshire, and the surrounding villages.

The first meeting of our new group is taking place on Carers' Rights Day, 30th November. We are meeting at from 10.00 a.m. with the opportunity for a cup of coffee or tea and the chance to chat and share your experiences with other carers.

At 10.45 we will have a group discussion when we will talk about the future of the new group and how the members want it see it develop. The meeting will last until 11.30 a.m.. Stay as long as you can.

If you live in or near Kineton and you care for an ill, disabled or elderly person, do try to come along and meet others in similar circumstances.