Caring for someone who is dependent on you can place extra demands on your day-to-day life, and you may need some more help around the home to enable you to cope. Most of the help available will be designed for the person you care for, but it should always help to take the strain off you a little too. Start from what you have decided you need and make the services on offer fit that need. Don’t just accept what is offered if it isn’t really what you need. Be aware that you may not be able to get everything you would like, but if you don’t ask, you don’t get. If you decide you need to have some changes made to your home to help you cope, you should contact an occupational therapist for advice first. You can do this through your social services office. It is also important to let others know you are a carer to ensure the person you care for will be properly supported and cared for in cases of an emergency. The emergency alert card is a card that carers can carry with them in case they have an accident or an emergency when away from home. They register their details with Wightcare giving details of what should be done to ensure the well being of the person being cared for. No details appear on the card, just a registration number and the Wightcare telephone number. The service is completely free of charge and can provide great peace of mind.
Everyone needs to be able to take a break from time to time and, as a carer, you are no exception. Don’t feel guilty about wanting some time to yourself – you may want a few hours to relax and catch your breath, or you may want a weekend (or even longer!) to get away without the person you care for. This is all very normal – if you don’t take some time off, you may find that your ability to cope with caring starts to decline. Recharging the batteries is a very sensible idea! There are lots of different forms of respite care, and it is important to choose one that is right for both you and the person you care for. This can take some time to arrange, so try and think about sorting out respite care well in advance of actually needing it!