Carers Week is coming up and we at NRAS are curious t... - NRAS
Carers Week is coming up and we at NRAS are curious to know how many people with RA require a carer, whether it is a family member, friend or whoever. Over the last 12 months have you needed a carer:
My Wife and son help me, without them I would not cope.
Over the past year I've been stable, so haven't needed additional support. But other time frames I might have needed much more support - even maybe on a daily basis.
Ruth
Before I had effective drug treatment I had become increasingly immobile - couldn't change gear so couldn't drive and some days could hardly walk - so I was very reliant on others at that time.
I needed support for about three months due to surgery on my rheumatoid toes
without my wife would be unable to live day to day thank god she there for me.
My husband helps me a great deal ,without his support life would be very difficult.
My husband is a Godsend. I don't need personal care as such but he has to pick me up if I fall as I cant put pressure on my wrists or knees (this happened recently) and sometimes need help hooking up bra or carrying laundry, so not really every day, but couldn't do without him. I know prob. not classed as "carer" help but cant do heavy cleaning or gardening so he is invaluable and couldn't do without him.
my husband and son do all the heavy housework I would really struggle without them.
It's difficult for me to define "carer". I certainly need help to carry shopping or laundry and usually need a helping hand to get the lids off bottles and jars. I can deal with my own personal care but help with the heavy stuff is invaluable as it saves me from hurting myself and being unable to manage the normal day to day jobs.
Without my partner I would be in a nursing home. He is my all, 24/7, I cannot imagine a life without him and he really is a gift from God, an Angel. He cares for me for well over 80 hours per week and the benefits he gets are partly deducted from mine so he earns about £1 per hour, no wonder the government wants care in the community, it's bordering on slave labour.
It's a coincidence that you at NRAS are asking this question right now, because lately I am desperate for someone to help me out a bit.
I am a carer for my husband and I am going through one of my periods of not coping very well.
Today, I dressed my husband in clean clothes and redressed his ulcerated foot before going to dialysis clinic. He went to the bathroom just before leaving and peed all over his clean clothes and the new dressing on his foot, and I just stood and cried.
I have contacted the Social Services Care at Home Team to get some help, I was told that a pack would be posted to me and someone would come out and do an assessment. That was over three weeks ago.
I have an appointment with our GP this week to see if he can push things along for me, but if you nice NRAS people have any suggestions, I would be glad to hear them. June xx
Hiya,
Have you tried contacting Carers UK? They should be able to give you the advice you need to get round the system - 0808 8087777.
Regards,
Thank you for your advice, I'll try contacting them today. June x
I could not manage without the support of my son. He is 20 years old and has ADHD and depression. i care for him full time which is not easy. i might have to nag him to do things for me, like carying shopping, emptying bins, creaming my feet and many other things. he drives me crazy at times and i probaly drive him crazy too, but without each other we wouldnt have the quality of live that we do have.
jenny.x
Hi, jenny I am a carer for a 22 year old relative because his family could not cope with his behavioural problems. He has ADHD Dyspaxia and high end autism. He drives me crazy sometimes and me him but he has a heart of gold and I am very fond of him.. We help each other out in very different ways but it works well for both of us. I didn't know I was going to get ill when he came to live with us 18 months ago after he had become homeless and maybe if we had known we would not have felt able to take him in. I am so glad we did!
I could not do without my husband he does everything for me cleans, cooks, washes, he even helps to wash and dress me. I just want to say a big thank you.
My husband took early retirement from a successful professional career in order to care for me 24/7 & his only guaranteed respite has been when I'm in hospital. He undertakes all housekeeping, shopping etc. as well as washing & dressing me and providing some intimate personal care. In addition, he was a full-time carer for my father who lived with us for 7 years (into his 90's) & suffered from Parkinson's disease.
We've had our difficulties on occasions -- this was not the life that we'd anticipated -- but I could not have coped without my husband's support. Although we don't often discuss the future, I recognise that my situation would be very bleak without him. It's a disgrace that the state doesn't acknowledge the contribution of the enormous number of unpaid carers who are
unaided & unrewarded.
