People who care for a loved one who is ill or has a disability come from all ages and backgrounds. Caring unites rich and poor, rural and urban and connects people from all walks of life.
You may care for someone at the moment? Or you will definitely know someone who does! People who care are everywhere, but so invisible. They include children and young adults who care for their brothers and sisters and parents; parents who care for children with complex physical and mental health needs; grandparents who step in to keep families together and people who support their partners with chronic illness.
Caring for loved ones can be rewarding but also very challenging for all sorts of reasons. Credu Connecting Carers is here to support with;
Free confidential one to one support for you whatever your age – on whatever matters most to you. For some people that is services for the person they look after, for others it is getting some respite, for others it is concerns over their finances, others want some information. We listen and adapt our support to suit you.
Connections with other people in a similar situation if that is something that would be helpful to you. We have a vast range of face to face and on-line groups for Carers of all ages. Some are about specific conditions such as autism, others are very general, others are about having time to relax and have fun such as art, crafts and yoga.
Young Carers groups do all sorts of activities from forest schools to football to trips to the beach
If you want to have your say, or have a voice as an individual or as a collective we support you to have your say. Our outreach workers and trained volunteers can support you as an individual, or you can join one of our forums / action groups.
Hayley, a parent Carer from Powys says ‘…I've found such positive empowering support in Credu!! Credu’s commitment to carers has been life changing. Giving us a voice, a platform, a purpose, to dare to look forward and believe again in ourselves...I no longer feel like I'm a tick box problem. I feel like Hayley again….’
All support is free because it is funded by Powys County Council, the Waterloo Foundation, Welsh Government and other funders.
WHAT IS FANTASTIC ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY:
It is made up of people who care. One in eight adults care (Carers Trust, 2022). One in five children will become Young Carers at some point in their school life. They live in the experience of compassion, empathy and commitment to others.
As well as caring for loved ones – so many look out for each other too!
People who care, unpaid, do 96% of the caring in our communities – saving the taxpayer over £8 billion per year just in Wales!
Our community organise mutual support, colourful and inspiring newsletters, local respite opportunities and an incredible annual festival.
WHAT IS CHALLENGING FOR OUR COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE WHO CARE is that caring for loved ones frequently results in the sacrifice of their own emotional, physical and financial well-being.
45% of Carers (Carers UK, 2022) are struggling with the cost of living and falling into arrears; this is set to exacerbate with the current cost of living crisis.
Even though unpaid carers save Wales over £8.1 billion each year (Carers Wales, 2015), carers report that they frequently feel judged and diminished by wider society and institutions that are there to support them (Carers Trust, 2021).
The unrelenting demands of caring can exhaust them; physically, mentally and emotionally (Carers Trust UK ,2021)
Younger carers have to work harder than their peers to achieve opportunities and qualifications (Becker, S, 2012).
Older carers are frequently tormented by thoughts of what will happen to people that they care for when they are no longer able to care.
HOW YOU CAN HELP:
Whether you’re an adult or a child, it is likely that you will know adults and children who care for loved ones that are unwell. You may not know about it. Sometimes family members are unwell and no one knows. This is even more difficult. However, you can help by:
Appreciating and valuing the caring role
Offering support when it feels appropriate
Being available to talk to
Including them as much as you can (caring can make it difficult to socialise and it is so easy for carers to become lonely and isolated)
Education, Health and Social Service professionals can help by:
Looking out for the people you come into contact with who have very ill or disabled family members or close friends.
Appreciating that Young or Adult carers are people with important responsibilities or big worries.
Finding ways to respect their role and collaborate with them on support - it makes the world of difference!
If you want support for yourself, someone you know, or if you would like to help out or donate, just call us on 01597 823800 or email carers@credu.cymru to find out more.
You will get a warm welcome. You can also check us out on www.credu.cymru.
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