News items from April 2016
Do you care for someone with heart failure?
- Are you living with heart failure?
- Do you care for a family member with heart failure?
- Your advice and experience are needed!
Researchers at De Montfort University are looking at how to support people with heart failure and their family caregivers better. In particular they want to try offering ‘mindfulness’ sessions to give people new ideas and skills to cope with the everyday stresses in life. As part of the planning for the research, they want to talk to people with heart failure and/or their family caregivers to get their thoughts and advice about this idea. Could you help?
What is involved?
If you have heart failure, or are a caregiver* for someone with heart failure, you are invited to attend an informal meeting to meet with the researchers, who will tell you more about the project and get your thoughts. They want to know if you think mindfulness might be useful, and how to avoid any problems which might stop people attending the sessions.
The meetings will last about an hour, and will take place at Glenfield Hospital in Leicester. Refreshments will be offered, and reasonable travel costs will be covered, plus £15 in recognition of you giving up your time. There will be one meeting for caregivers and one for people with heart failure, and dates and times will be arranged to suit participants.
(*A caregiver could be a partner/spouse or other family member e.g. daughter, whoever is most involved or affected, either practically or emotionally.)
I’m interested – what do I do now?
If you would like to attend a meeting, or want to find out more, contact Jaqui Long (0116 250 6538, [email protected]) or Wendy Padley (0116 201 3917, [email protected]) in the School of Nursing and Midwifery at De Montfort University.
FREE Support Programme for carers in Hinckley
Caring with Confidence - a FREE support programme for anyone caring for a family member or friend, with any condition, is starting in Hinckley on Thursday 12th May from 10am-1pm at St Francis Community Centre, Tudor Road, Hinckley, LE10 0EQ. Refreshments provided.
Caring for a chronically ill or disabled loved one can have a huge impact on your own health and wellbeing, and many carers say they feel isolated, experience feelings of being unable to cope, are unsure where to go for advice and support or feel they're not being heard. Others say they would like the chance to meet others in a similar situation.
Caring with Confidence can help with these problems.
The FREE support programme runs over five weeks and is held in a relaxed and friendly environment with two facilitators who are carers themselves. It covers a range of topics including accessing support, coping with stress, taking care of your own health and wellbeing, how to communicate with professionals, service providers and the person you care for, ideas to help with self-advocacy and tips for caring day-to-day.
Everyone is welcome, please come to as many sessions as you can. You're welcome to bring a friend or family member if you think they could benefit from the programme too.
To find out more and book a place:
Call: Ranjana or Debbie at The Carers Centre on 0116 251 0999.
Click here to find out more about the programme week by week
Quote from a carer who recently attended the programme:
“What a blessing this course has been and in such a relaxed atmosphere. I have gained so much practical information to help me in my caring role and have also realised how much I matter and I too have got a life and a future. You have given me so much help and I have made many new friends. Thank you so much.”
Eileen from Leicester
JOB OPPORTUNITY: DIGITAL INCLUSION OFFICER, SUPPORT FOR CARERS
Would you like to help carers become more confident with technology - so they can get support, find information, get things done and socialise online more easily?
We're looking for a self-employed, sessional worker for a new project supporting carers throughout Leicestershire.
As our Digital Inclusion Officer, you'll help carers get online and also recruit and train a team of around 25 volunteers to help carers.
You must have experience of working with carers and volunteers and knowledge of providing computer based training. Ideally, you'll be accredited by Learn My Way.
Hours and salary are flexible and negotiable.
To find out more please email [email protected] by 13th April.
How can the Government improve support for carers?
The Government want to develop a new strategy for carers - setting out how they can do more. One which reflects carers' lives now, the health and financial concerns you have and the support you need to live well, whilst caring for a family member or friend.
To help them develop the strategy, they want to hear from carers, as well as those that need caring for, together with organisations and professionals that support carers.
Have your say today and help improve Government support for carers!
Could you help carers to get online?
We're looking for people to volunteer as digipals!
What is a digipal?
This is someone who will work with carers in their own homes, to support them to learn to:
- Carry out basic computer tasks
- Send e-mails
- Securely look at websites
- Facebook, Skype, Facetime
- Access a range of information
- Internet Shopping
- Useful Applications
… and many more things!
Training will be provided and this could lead on (if you choose) to gaining Learn My Way City & Guilds level 3
Please call us on 0845 689 9510 or email [email protected] to find out more or to request a volunteer role description.
(Calls are charged at local rate, unless from a mobile)
Spring Newsletter out now!
Catch up with all the latest news and information for carers in our Spring Newsletter, including an update on our carer buddying scheme and the latest advice on getting the best from NHS services.
Remember, we're here to help with anything related to caring, whether you have a question or you'd like advice, guidance, support or simply a friendly chat. We're supporting almost 4,000 carers throughout Leicestershire now, through our helpline, carers' support groups and a range of other services.
Click here to read our Spring Newsletter
