Carers Week
From 10th June to 16th June, we celebrate Carers Week. During this week, we recognise all the amazing work of carers supporting their family or friends across Scotland.
Carers Week highlights the challenges faced by unpaid carers and acknowledges their contribution to families and communities across the country.
Being a carer is incredibly difficult and carers often forget about themselves. At Change Mental Health, we work with carers to remind them about prioritising their own self-care and wellbeing.
The theme this year made by Carers UK is ‘Putting Carers on the Map’, emphasising the invaluable contributions of carers and making sure that they are recognised. Our goal is to increase awareness so that people will be more open to discuss the difficulties faced by unpaid carers and can assist them in getting the support they need, when they need it and in a way which works best for them
If you are a carer or want to know more about caring, read more about it in our help for carers resource. You can also read more about the support we deliver to carers across the country through Carer Support.
I’m a carer.
How do I support myself?
Research has shown that people who care for their relatives and friends may feel isolated or have poor mental and physical health themselves. It is important that you seek support. Here are some types of support available for carers:
Talking therapies
You may discover how caring for someone impacts you by discussing your concerns and feelings with a qualified expert.
Peer support groups
There is strong evidence that talking to folks who have experienced similar things might help them create useful coping mechanisms.
Carer Support Payment
If you live in Scotland and are a carer, you might be eligible for the Carer Support Payment or a Young Carer Grant.
Change Mental Health services
We offer Carer Support in Highland, Tayside, Fife, Edinburgh and Dumfries and Galloway. Our Carer Support Workers have expertise and a detailed understanding of the issues that affect carers and people with mental illness through emotional support and one-to-one or peer group support.
“The best thing about Change Mental Health and Carers’ Support is the endless possibilities of support, the connections, the links they can provide you with. This place has been a godsend, it really has. As a carer, you feel alone – you really do. But with Change Mental Health, I don’t feel as alone as I did before.”
Lorna shares her experience with the Carer Support in Tayside. You can read more about her experience here.
Prioritise your mental wellbeing this Summer by signing up to the 100 challenge! It’s free to sign up to the 100 challenge and involves you doing 100 of anything that makes you feel great in July. Raise £100 for Change Mental Health so we can support more carers like Lorna across Scotland.
Your donation will help Change Mental Health to fulfil our vision of building a future where no one faces mental illness alone. Whatever the size, your generosity can contribute towards providing carers with safe, judgement-free spaces to talk about their needs while building supportive and understanding networks of peers.
support
If you or anyone you know requires support, our Advice and Support Service is open Monday to Friday, 10 am to 4 pm, where advisers can signpost you to local support that fits your needs, including our Change Mental Health services. We offer initial advice on money worries and help to deal with emergencies.
Contact 0808 8010 515, email us at advice@changemh.org or fill out the enquiry form on the Advice and Support Service page.
