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Caring for the Carers
It is so easy to get caught up in helping a patient cope with their illness, but does anyone stop to think about the carer? Most carers suddenly find themselves launched into a new role, without training or support. Life can become extremely difficult as they struggle to manage the variety of different demands that are placed upon them. Many illnesses are chronic or terminal, so carers are also left with the emotional impact of helping their loved one come to terms with news that life will never be the same. |  |
It is easy to assume that carers are capable of dealing with all the demands put upon them. As a student nurse, I vividly recall the carer of one of my patient’s arriving to see her mother. The porter pushed her in a wheelchair as she clutched her zimmer frame. I had expected to see a lady in her sixties, who was fit and healthy. Instead the carer was crippled with arthritis and in her late seventies. It didn’t take a genius to work out that this poor lady could simply no longer care for her elderly mother, despite having a heart of gold.
Carers need support and assistance in their role. Often they are left 24 hours per day, coping alone, trying to attend to all the needs of the patient and run a home as well. Life with an illness usually means lots of medical appointments, prescriptions to collect and disturbed nights. Many patients become too ill to leave alone at home, while the carer pops out to get essential food or medication. They depend upon the help of family and friends who are willing to help out. But not everyone has this invaluable support, and many can not afford to pay for these services to be done by outside agencies. Wouldn’t it be fantastic if volunteers could be found to help carers do these essential jobs.
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Carers also need to be able to have a break from the heavy responsibility they face. Many just need to get out and visit a friend for a chat, or go to a carers support group where they can talk with other people who are experiencing the same kind of problems. Perhaps they need to have a few hours undisturbed sleep, or relax into a hobby to take their mind of the current situation. |
We must not forget that carers are not always adults. Many children care for their sick or disabled parents, fulfilling duties that many adults would struggle to do. If children are expected to give long term care, this may lead to a significant impact on their education and wellbeing. We must make sure that the needs of these children are not forgotten about, especially since their attendance at school may be compromised due to their caring role, and teachers may be unaware of the situation.
Carers need both physical and emotional support, which increases as the patient becomes sicker and more dependent. Online counselling is a wonderful service, which allows carers to receive professional help in the comfort of their own home, while still looking after their loved one.
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If we fail to support the carers in their role, we fail to support the patient who ultimately will need to be cared for in hospital, for no other reason than they can no longer be cared for at home. With a budget conscious NHS is it not cheaper to support the carer at home, rather than admit their loved one into hospital?
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