Who cares for carers?
Who cares for carers?
It’s natural to place your time, love, trust, money & energy into the person or people you care for. But is it selfish to think about yourself & make efforts to protect your own emotional & financial interests?
I say NO! Really, very loudly. I am not a carer but I am a parent. I draw few distinctions between caring for 3 children I have chosen to bring into this world against people like you who take on caring for someone else’s children, a partner or a family member with little or no time to consider & plan it. But I do feel passionately that as a carer of any type, you must look after & protect yourself before your look after anyone else. Without you running at 100% the person you care for suffers.
Think of yourself as a house: a structure with a door, windows & a roof. What happens if that structure is not solid, if is letting in wind, water & rain? What happens if you have no time or funds to repair it or it is not protected against other unexpected crisis? Within that house is everything you invest in those you care for. What happens to them?
This is a simple analogy and one we go through with every one of our clients particularly people who have something or someone they wish to protect. This may be a business, a child or an adult they care for. Every time we visit a client we are surprised at the lack of awareness of how to protect themselves against risk of crisis. We ask:
You insure your washing machine so why not your health? You insure your mobile phone but why not your income? You insure your television but you don’t have a funeral plan? You even go so far as to have a small savings plan but you have no pension & even no Will? You have several creditors & payment plans but what happens in your cost of living goes up or your income goes down? How will you deal with those debts as they grow?
Lucy Haughey is Director & co-founder of The Plan B Partnership a unique financial advice & financial inclusion social enterprise. They work across the UK providing a range of free, impartial, ethical & regulated financial & debt advice services & education sessions to people who work, care for others, are parents or are retired. www.theplanbpartnership.co.uk
