Category Archives: Scotland

Carers unveil new book offering support

June 21, 2014   Carers, dementia, Featured Article, Scotland

Barbara Shearer (Mayfield), Wanda Gosz (Penicuik) and Patricia Thorp (Mayfield) at the launch of the new booklet

Midlothian carers have put pen to paper to produce a new booklet aimed at supporting people who care for those with dementia.

The booklet was launched as part of National Carers’ Week.

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Identifying and supporting informal carers

April 6, 2014   bereavement, Carers, family, Older care, Scotland

Carers need to be encouraged to see themselves as carers

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Young carer

Image credit: Produnis

In this guest post, Dr Emma Carduff and Dr Anne Finucane, co-authors on a new paper published today in BMC Family Practice explain why it’s important to support the carers of people approaching the end of their lives.

Approx. 10% of the UK population have an unpaid caring role for a family member or friend. Many of these carers make a significant contribution to supporting people who are approaching the end of their lives.  With increasing numbers of older and frailer people in the population, informal carers will play a vital role in caring for family members as health deteriorates and end of life approaches. In particular, care from informal carers, who are generally family members, is essential for those who wish to be cared for in their own home.

Carers can experience poor physical and psychosocial wellbeing, yet they remain largely unsupported by health and social services. It is essential that carers are supported both to  maintain their own health and wellbeing and to care for their family member or friend. However, before they can be supported, carers need to be identified.

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Memory Café for dementia sufferers and carers in Queensferry

March 17, 2014   Alzheimer’s, Carers, dementia, mental health, Scotland

The Memory Café

 

Queensferry Care has officially opened a new service “The Memory Café”, at The Haven 25b Burgess Road, its base in South Queensferry. Developed through a partnership with NHS Lothian, Alzheimer’s Scotland and Queensferry Care, the Café will open from 13:00hr to 15:00hr on the third Thursday of each month and will provide support, information and advice to people who have a diagnosis of dementia and to carers.

Sharon Hampson-Bahia, manager at Queensferry Care said: “We were delighted with the response at the opening of the café and it was clear that people attending valued the opportunity to meet and chat with the professional team in a relaxed setting while enjoying a coffee and some delicious cakes.

“Queensferry Care have been providing a range of services to older people and carers for over twenty years across rural west Edinburgh and it is has been exciting for us to be able to extend our work in partnership with Alzheimer’s Scotland and NHS Lothian in such an innovative way.”

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