Caring for the carers
Who supports long-term carers? Often they become isolated and deal with the burden of another's illness for many years. Extracare Northern Ireland have developed a unique programme that mixes practical caring skills with assertiveness training and complementary support.
A third of long-term carers end up damaging their spine through lack of training in moving a sick person.
Carers are people who, without payment, provide help and support to a family member or a friend who may not be able to manage alone because of frailty, illness or disability. There are around 185,000 carers in Northern Ireland and about 18% of households in Northern Ireland contain a carer. Research has shown that family carers have much poorer health especially because of physical injury from moving and handling as well as from stress-related illnesses.
Northern Ireland has a population that is ageing faster than any part of the UK, and with fewer 'younger' people about to support the elderly, informal carers are vital for supporting independent living.
Many carers find themselves caring without training and often they themselves are old and frail. ExtraCare's training programme is unique in providing help in these situations.
Training is almost always delivered in the carer’s own home at a time and pace that suit them. The content and duration of the programme are also dictated by the carer. Although each programme is unique, common topics covered include moving and handling, stress management and relaxation, dementia awareness, personal care including skin care management and assertiveness training.
Staff at the programme say 'there's a natural carer type - the person in a family who gets dumped with all the care of a sick relative. These people are bad at leaving time for themselves. They often need help to be assertive and make sure they get all the support they can.' Massage, aromatherapy and reflexology are offered to the carers give them space as well as reducing stress. ExtraCare workers say that they also act as listeners for the 'dark stuff' - the black moments when a carer wishes that the cared-for person were gone.
In a recent evaluation 70% of carers said that without the programme they would have been forced to give up their caring role or would have been unable to continue without additional practical assistance.
One carer says of her trainer 'this has been the best support I have had on both a practical basis and an emotional basis. This was the first person and to date only person, who seemed to have any understanding of the problems faced both physically and personally by someone who has becomes a full time carer.'
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