Category Archives: mental health

Film premiere highlights extra support for Torbay carers

January 9, 2013   Alzheimer’s, Carers, dementia, health, mental health

Help for families supporting an older person suffering from depression, anxiety or psychosis.

Tuesday, January 08, 2013

 

  1. ​Carers, patients and healthcare staff from across Torbay and Southern Devon recently came together to celebrate the launch of a new educational film to help families supporting an older person suffering from depression, anxiety or psychosis.
  2. Funded and produced in collaboration between Torbay and Southern Devon Health and Care NHS Trust’s Torbay Carers Services and Devon Partnership NHS Trust, the film is the third in a series of DVDs aimed at supporting unpaid carers.

Caring for an Older Person with Depression, Anxiety or Psychosis follows on from two highly successful films about dementia. The films share the experience of living with, and caring for, someone with mental ill health and explore the ways in which people learn to cope with the challenges involved.

This latest film features four couples who have lived with depression, anxiety or a psychotic illness. They openly discuss what happened to them, the effect of their illness on their daily lives and relationships and how they have come through their struggles with ill health. Carers talk about the effect on the person with the illness and on themselves.

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Campaign for Torbay carers takes to the road

January 4, 2013   Carers, family, mental health

Torbay raising awareness for Carers

Friday, January 04, 2013
  1. ​Carers

    Paul Lucas (Non-Executive Director at Torbay and Southern Devon Health and Care NHS Trust), Caroline Taylor (Torbay Council’s Chief Operating Officer and Director of Adult Services), Janet Helmore (Carer), Pat Goss (Chair of Torbay Carers Register), Kevin Dixon (Carer)

​Stickers are springing up on car windows around the Bay with the message ‘Join Torbay Carers Register Now’ as part of a new campaign to raise awareness of the free help and support that is available to the thousands of unpaid carers across Torbay.

Torbay and Southern Devon Health and Care NHS Trust runs carers services for people living in the Bay. Torbay’s Carers Register is one of the most successful of its kind in the country, supporting over 3,500 carers a year. It offers unpaid carers a range of services including a Carers’ Emergency Card; discount scheme; a regular carers’ newsletter and a host of useful information and support including drop-in centres in two of the Bay’s towns.
The striking car window stickers feature an image of the purple and yellow Carers Register card and encourages people to sign up to the register to access help and support. This latest campaign was launched on National Carers’ Rights Day which also aims to raise awareness of the needs of unpaid carers across the country.

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For many unpaid family Carers Christmas will just be another day.

December 10, 2012   Carers, disability, mental health, Multiple Sclerosis, Older care, stroke

For many unpaid family Carers Christmas will just be another day.

Guest blog by Maureen

For many unpaid family Carers Christmas will be no different to any other day of the year, the loved ones they care for still have to be cared for 24/7, their disability or illness doesn’t go away just because it’s Christmas, quite often Carers have found that friends and family no longer visit or even enquire how they or their caree are which leaves them feeling shut off from the outside world, what many people don’t realise is anyone, and I mean anyone can become a carer in an instant, you don’t chose to become an unpaid carer, it just happens without warning and in some cases without realising you are a carer.
Christmas is no fun either for the person being cared for, they to feel cut off as well while the outside world is having Christmas.
Christmas is another time when outside help is not always available and everywhere is closed putting more and more pressure on the unpaid carer at this time of year.
Chill4us forum is a lifeline to many unpaid carers, it may not be person to person but knowing someone is out there can ease a little of the loneliness and isolation and Chill4us is open all over Christmas, New year and the rest of the year.
Below are some comments how some family carers feel at this time of year……..
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