home care news uk | Secure Healthcare Solutions

If you have a relative that is sick, your natural instinct is that you want to care for them. After all, the person in question has likely always been there for you and you want to give something back. Yet you could find that after a while it takes its toll. If you have a job that you need to go to every day, have children and pets to look after or have a lengthy journey over to your loved one, it can soon become stressful. The emotional investment can keep you going but it could end up making you ill. If you get ill and burnt out from doing too much work this isn’t good for anyone. This is why it is a good idea to look into getting a home carer. If you are considering this, then there are a few things you need to remember:

Asking for help is not a failure

If you have been looking after a relative for a while, you can feel a sense of failure if you suddenly need to ask for external help. This is not the case. It is important to remember that by asking for help you are doing your loved one and yourself a favor by giving them the best care possible. This is a courageous thing to do and says a lot about how much you care about the other person.

Your relationship with your loved one will probably improve

It can be very stressful looking after your loved one. Even though you want to do it, you may find that your stress shows as resentment or you just find it very distressing to see them that way. When the pressure of caring for them is removed, you can focus on spending quality time with them. You can play games, talk, look at photos and reminisce. Instead of worrying about their care, you can sip cups of tea and just enjoy the time you spend together. This is a much healthier way to spend your time.

Photo by Pavel Danilyuk from Pexels

They are better qualified for the role

Your home carer is qualified to do this role and will therefore be very good at it. They will know what to do in certain situations that you might have found distressing or not known what to do. They are also good at handling situations such as getting people dressed or helping them bathe with dignity. If you are too close to someone they can see this as embarrassing or that they don’t want you to do it. A carer is detached enough from the situation that it isn’t an issue.

It is important that if you are finding it difficult to look after a loved one who needs care, that you seek external help. All of our carers at Secure Healthcare Solutions are experts in their field and fully checked by the CQC for their top-quality care. If you are looking to find out more or hire a carer then please get in touch with us today.

If you are looking for a role as a home carer, see our vacancies here.

Was this your experience at the General Election? Or do you think the Government needs to improve the voting process for people with dementia? Our Campaigns team explain how you can share your experiences and help make sure the rights of people to vote are upheld.

The right to vote

The Mental Capacity Act, which provides a framework for making decisions on behalf of people who lack the capacity to make a decision, does not apply to voting. This means that a lack of mental capacity does not stop someone from being able to vote. It is up to the person to decide if they want to vote and if they need it, they should be supported to do so.

Unfortunately, we know this doesn’t always happen in practice.

Even in the most recent election, we heard from people who experienced difficulties when voting, like being asked inappropriate questions about whom they’re voting for and staff not allowing carers to support people at polling booths.

It’s clear that more needs to be done. People with conditions such as dementia should not be prevented from exercising what is a fundamental democratic right.

Make your voice heard

Help change this by sharing your experience of voting.

The Government, in partnership with other organisations, is looking for evidence from people who have disabilities about their experience of registering to vote and voting itself. From filling in the registration forms to the support available at polling stations on Election Day, they want to hear about each stage of the process.

After the consultation is complete, they’ll produce a report of all the findings. This will include recommendations about what needs to change to make sure the rights of people to vote are upheld.

So whether you have experience of registering and casting your vote yourself or you have supported someone else to do so, please do share your experiences and make sure your voice is heard.

Visit the Call for Evidence webpage on Gov.UK for details of the consultation questions and how to respond. This information is available in a range of accessible formats.

The deadline to respond is 5pm on Tuesday 14 November. If you have any questions – or want to share your experiences with us – please contact the Campaigns team at Alzheimer’s Society on change@alzheimers.org.uk