An exploration of the UK unpaid carer's world


                     Odds I park my caree in a daycare centre and get some respite.  Evens and we join the Ross DMC


Ross DMC Carer page                                                                Home page here                                          

If you are an Odds carer, enjoy yourself.  

If you are of Even Stevens  philosophy, you'll be in the right team .

Your team members are your fellow carers and the volunteers who make the Ross DMC happen for you.



They all strive for the personal qualities of:

  • A caring and considerate nature
  • A responsible attitude
  • Respect for people’s individuality
  • Composure
  • Decisiveness
  • Empathy and sensitivity
  • Imagination
  • Projection ability
  • A positive attitude
  • Reliability
  • Commitment
  • Being participators and not solo performers
Thus, carers, independent carees as self-carers and volunteers share the same set of goals - reducing the caree dementia burden.


        
        Carer and caree, or volunteer and caree. 

        The caree could be an independent caree.                                      

               
Which team do you want to be in?  Don't be at odds with yourself.  Contribute to the magnitude of the even-share.

Here we consider the carer within the carer/caree couple, and the independent caree. 


The independent caree

The existing DMCs in Leominster and Droitwich do not have anything to say publicly about independent carees.  They are considered to be within the group of carees which is appropriate when therapeutic sessions are intended for those with dementia and not the wider collection of carers and carees.  However, independent carees are self-carers. Some live alone and may well have family supporting them.  Others may live with family or have a close neighbour, but the independent caree can manage most aspects of daily living without constant reliance on help with it. That includes personal self care re bathroom, toilet and medication.
  

Solo performers

The Ross DMC carer support programme is structured to encourage carers to be participators and not solo performers.  That term is shorthand for any carers who may be tempted to see a role of caring for their caree as an isolated unit within what is going on within Ross DMC.  Similar comment appertains to the independent caree as self carer. Readers are reminded of "Team Work" and the "Care Triangle" here.


Group performers

Unlike the Leominster DMC, carers and independent carees are encouraged to take the lead within activities and carer group discussion.  If they have skills to exercise and develop, their participation in this way enhances their self-esteem and group cohesion.


Practical, emotional and social support

Moving on, the Ross DMC carer support programme is structured to enable carers and self-carers to gain knowledge of the care process, and dementia itself.  Carers and self-carers gain the skills within the context of practical, emotional and social support.  Through being able to better deal with new and difficult situations, carers experience less stress and a reduction of the carer burden.  


Delayed entry to residential care

The Dutch experience proves that carees are able to enjoy delayed entry to residential care. This, fortunately, coincides with their carers being able to continue their care for a longer time than if the situation (including no delayed carer entry to residential care) took place within conventional daycare.



In conclusion 

Are you gambling on weekly ephemeral respite or moving forward with your caree to sustainable progression to the point when dementia may have won a delayed battle?   If that point arrives, you will have the support of Ross DMC within which your friendship circle of like-minded and like-suffering carers was founded. Include in that friendship circle are the carees, of course.  

More particularly, the volunteers who committed themselves to helping you reduce your caree's suffering and your carer burden while you attended Ross DMC on a regular basis don't cut the knot if your caree is out of the equation.  Before it happens, if forecast, you receive new forms of support to help you bring your caree's dementia journey to its conclusion.

 
more - after a good break
pagetop    Ross DMC Carer page here

                   Carer stress here

                   Home page here


Footnote


Carers at the heart of 21st-century families and communities
 

Ross DMC themes include:
  1. Responding to members' wants and needs  as seen here

The reader will see that Ross DMC follows an important report on dementia re carers - 

4.3

By 2018:

•4.3.1
 carers will be respected as expert care partners and will have access
         to the integrated and personalised services they need to support
         them in their caring role;

•4.3.2
 carers will be able to have a life of their own alongside their caring
         role;

•4.3.3
 carers will be supported so that they are not forced into financial
          hardship by their caring role;

•4.3.4
 carers will be supported to stay mentally and physically well and
         treated with dignity;


4.3.1 reflects Responding to members' wants and needs.


4.3.2 is given emphasis at Ross DMC by arranging extra meeting time beyond the one day per week.  

         The focus will be social support and will be arranged according to individual need.


Ross DMC cannot offer £ support as in 4.3.3 but will help with documents etc and it will signpost carers as appropriate.


4.3.4 is the core purpose of Ross DMC.  The quotation applies also to independent and carees who                have carers



Source - Section 4 in the blue panel here