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/