New members welcome to join Mole Valley ex-carers’ group

A SOCIAL club for former carers who have lost their loved ones is open to new members.

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Leatherhead Advertiser

The Mole Valley Ex-Carers Social Group was started by former members of Carers Support Mole Valley who found they had more free time after losing the person they looked after.

  1. SOCIAL SCENE:  Group members at Woodbury Cottage in Reigate  RELM20120905B-001_C Photo by Liam McAvoy

    SOCIAL SCENE: Group members at Woodbury Cottage in Reigate RELM20120905B-001_C Photo by Liam McAvoy

Anne Broughton, who acted as carer for her husband for 12 years before his death, said: “It is hard to maintain your social life when you are caring all the time, so when you experience a loss it can be difficult to know what to do with yourself.

“The networks that are in place for carers are a brilliant help in that respect when you are an official carer, but due to lack of funding they can only support you for a year after you lose the person you are caring for.”

The social group has organised a series of outings, including a trip to Woodbury Cottage in Reigate on September 5, and Mrs Broughton hopes members will become firm friends.

She said: “The ex-carer network has been started because it is nice for people to have that social contact with people who have been through the same thing.

“But it is important to say that this is not all about meeting up to talk about having been a carer.

“Our hope is for people get to know each other on these trips and then be able in future to ring each other and go to the pictures or out for dinner.”

Maureen Flood, from Dorking, got involved with the ex-carers’ group after her husband, who she looked after for six years, died 18 months ago.

She said: “Having cared for someone for so long, friends drop by the wayside and you haven’t been able to keep up with things and we realised we had to get back into society.”

Mrs Flood believes meeting up with people who have had similar experiences is helpful.

“The only thing we’ve got in common is we are all grieving for somebody,” she said.

“By chatting to people you can work out what works for them and what they have tried, which is really quite important.”

The next outing will be to Polesden Lacey in Great Bookham on October 15.

For more information, contact Thora at Mole Valley Carer Support on 01306 640020.

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