During National Carers Week, we are focusing on Making Caring Visible.

At Hospice at Home West Cumbria, the carers who attend our group support sessions find it helpful to meet with others and share their experiences and advice with others who are in a similar position.

Our Family and Bereavement Support team support people who are caring for loved ones with life limiting conditions, and also offer bereavement support after their loved one has died.

It’s so important that carers are given an opportunity to access support and share their experiences. Our group support sessions enable carers to meet with other carers and talk about their experiences, their frustrations and share stories and advice with others who are in a similar caring position.

As this years theme of Carers Week is ‘Making Caring Visible’, we wanted to find out how the carers who attend the groups feel and how it benefits them. Here are some of their responses:

“I have found it helpful to talk about things and listening to others”

“I feel the benefit in talking to others who can relate to what I’m going through and understand how I feel”

“I found being able to express some of the frustrations and difficulties of being a carer extremely helpful and it helped to release a bit of pressure”

“It’s good to be able to come away from the home environment and be able to function on a different level”

“Talking provided opportunities to be open and share some of the thoughts, feelings and fears that I go through in my mind in my caring role”

“I found being able to express some of the frustrations and difficulties and complexities of being a carer very helpful”

The Group Support sessions are led by a member of the Family and Bereavement Support team and a Family and Bereavement Support Volunteer and are referred to as ‘Coffee and Chat’ sessions. During these challenging times the team are continuing to keep in touch with the carers they support by telephone.

For advice on looking after someone and looking after yourself as a carer click HERE

For more information about National Carers Week, click HERE 

To speak to a member of the Family and Bereavement Support team, call 01900 705200