Helping a family carer

Being a family carer for a loved one can be challenging and very demanding at times. If you, a friend or a family member is a family carer then you should consider following these tips to help where you can.

Plan Ahead

If you plan on visiting regularly then a good idea is to let the family carer know beforehand, whether that be by sending a text, phoning or simply arranging a schedule.

By letting the carer know ahead of time can give them time to plan, especially if the person they are caring for suffers from dementia and some added time might be useful just to prepare the visit appropriately.

As with any condition that involves your health, there are going to be good and bad days so it is important you aren’t put off if your visits gets cancelled. Being a family carer is rewarding, but also very challenging, so some moral support can go a long way.

Research the Condition

If you don’t know any of the detail of what your loved is dealing with then it is a good idea to research the condition. Asking the family carer is also a good way as it shows interest and support.

There are plenty of places online that offer accurate and well documented information to help you understand the basics of what the condition is.

Offer Your Help

If you are not the primary care giver, try asking them if you can help out in a practical way. Some examples could be getting the shopping done for them, making meals for them, offer to take care of the person once a week to give the family carer a rest, or even simply helping out around the house by performing some chores.

These are all little things, but they can make the world of difference.

Organise Some Time Out

Helping can include even organising some outdoor activities together and making sure everything is done in a safe environment that is familiar to the person that is cared for. As a family carer there are many daily tasks and sometimes organising something different can be very time consuming and if someone else thinks and organises it can be a very valuable contribution.

Take A Gift And Show Your Support

When visiting even the smallest of gifts can be much appreciated. It’s a way of showing support and shows how grateful you are.

Letting the family carer know you are there to help and listen to them when they need. Accepting help isn’t failure and that is a vital piece of information they must be reminded from time to time.