Mum taking part in an art activity
You can't go it alone, and the saying 'no man is an island' rings especially true. As carers we do spend a large proportion of our time in isolation it is a good idea to see what local resources exist in your area. It is a good idea to check out your local carers group - who will not only have information about any financial help or training that you can get they can let you know about the resources specifically for carers, and groups that you can join that will help you take some time out for yourself.
Sekani sharing a joke with mum
Contacting the groups can be the bridge which gets you out of the isolating situation and be around people who understand your circumstances because they are going through it themselves. I found going to a carers group particularly useful, and when mom was first diagnosed I knew nothing about dementia apart from the articles I had read in the news. I decided to attend a course run by my local carers group which covered aspects of dementia, strategies and tips on how to manage and more. It was informative and I got a lot of information which helped, it also allowed me to see that some of the things that I felt guilty about especially to do with how I felt about the illness was normal and it helped that as a group we could share our experiences. This is so important for carers and makes such a big difference to your feeling of isolation as you can share and swap ideas and ways you have found to cope.
Mum enjoying time with the family
There are also people who volunteer who used to be carers and they can give an insight to how they have coped when the time comes for you to think about life after care. It might be set up differently in your own areas, but it is worth finding out. The main thing is that you have to take a step, make a call, put your name on a few mailings lists to keep up to speed as much as possible with what is going on in your area and find out what is going on.
For now, check out what local resources you have to hand and make a point to do just one thing and connect with another carer.
You can also click on the 'Celebrating life' image to be taken to the rest of the posts from the Journey of a Carer
