Care Matters

Caring has many meanings and can be seen in many different forms. Caring for your loved ones is based on a different relationship to caring for someone as part of your professional role. 

Caring has many meanings and can be seen in many different forms. Caring for your loved ones is based on a different relationship to caring for someone as part of your professional role.

If you give unpaid support to a relative, partner or friend who is ill, frail, disabled or has mental health or substance misuse problems, you are a carer as well as those who provide care professionally.

Your relationship with a loved one can change if their health declines and they need caring for, which can bring stress. Although for many carers, caring has positive and rewarding aspects, there are lots of reasons why caring can also leave you needing support.

Becoming a carer can bring isolation where you rarely leave the house. It’s harder to keep up with interests and activities and therefore friendships are harder to sustain.

Caring can affect your relationship with your partner or other family members as caring tends to require unsociable hours of work. You need to maintain a work life balance.

It can also lead to poverty if you have to give up work to care or are managing on benefits. The aids and equipment needed to help care can add an extra drain on tight finances. 

As carers what can you do?

Carers in Somerset are legally entitled to an assessment of their needs as a carer from the county council.

This gives them the chance to talk about the impact of being a carer has on their life and what might make things easier for them.

Talking to your GP and informing them of your caring role can open up a lot of support.

Community groups that offer support and weekly or monthly meetings can enable you to meet other people in similar situations.

There are teams of carers out in the community through different agencies and homes. As caring professionals we take responsibility for health and well-being. Caring can leave you emotionally exhausted because of the strain of seeing someone you care about experiencing pain, distress or discomfort. 

As caring can lead to stress you need to be in regular communication to ensure you’re not on your own, you are part of a team and getting support.