Monday 8 June 2009

Three out of four carers reach "breaking point"

I know it's been a while. I just wanted to share this news item, which reveals that three out of four carers are pushed to "breaking point".

The article states that in a survey of 1,941 carers, "Frustration with the bureaucracy of accessing NHS care and benefits was the most common reason they cited as forcing them to breaking point."

I totally agree. And the problem is that the pressures of trying to access this support makes it harder to cope with the actual caring role itself, instead of easier.

The article also states that in another survey of the general public, 86% felt that "carers made a valuable contribution to society" behind only nurses at 91% and firefighters at 90%.

If so many people have such great respect for carers, how come they're left with no help, allowing them to reach breaking point in the first place?

7 comments:

Robert said...

I totally agree with you!

And I understand some of what you're going through (from reading your other blog) since I've got similar - but, imho, lesser - problems myself.

I hope your next counselling session is more productive than the last.

Best wishes.

Mr Mans Wife said...

Thank you Robert. I've been feeling very anxious about my appointment on Friday.

I think it's hard to tell if someones problems are greater or lesser since none of us really know what another person is experiencing. There may be things that you cope with that I can't, but there may also be things I cope with that you can't? The important thing is that we can find some comfort in knowing that we are not alone and that others are suffering similar experiences even if they are not exactly the same.

Thank you for your support Robert.

karen said...

Finding help with money problems . well lets just say I give up. I almost have enough help "when I ask for it on the caregiving part" Almost.If not for Hospice we would be in the poor house . Which we were almost in the last 2 yrs. Hospice saved me from the breaking point.
http://alzheimersandmomblog.blogspot.com/

Sapphyre said...

And the 1/4 that has not reached breaking point is still struggling!

Hi, Mr Mans Wife... I also have a carer's blog. It's not very good LOL... http://cwmw.blogspot.com

bloodred1889 said...

ive tried to leave a comment on your blog about mr man but it says i cant with this account, i have to be a team member account? could you please tell me how to become one?

thanks.

anyway here is the comment i wanted to add to one of your posts about the mentel health team and how they can treat people....
---------------------------------


hi my name is jade
ive been reading your blog from the beggining and id like to say how amazing you are.

reading this perticular post though i felt i had alot in commen with you and the may mentel health teams treat patiants and carers.

i am actually the one with a mentel health condition, but i feel because of my label the crisis team think im difficult and just try and deal with me as quickly as possoble, ive told them numerous times i feel im having a crisis and i often get back an attitude of well you sound fine so you can cope, my mum has rang up before saying im in a crisis and they wont talk to her they always say can we talk to jade.

once i had to litrally beg to be taken to the crisis center and the condition that was put on me was i was to be picked up but i had to make my own way home, anyway on the day i felt really anxious and sais i didnt want to, but because it had been agreed they said i just had to cope, i was sitting on the crisis center floor crying saying i didnt understand why i was being egnored, i was being treated like a child as the women in charge refused to talk about the matter anymore and thus just cept going about her bussiness egnoring me, delibretly not even looking at me, in the end i had to get a taxi home with no money.

case in point some people in the mentel health profession treat people like me and mr man and there carers like they are fine, like they are difficult and childish and they should take responsability more, it makes me so mad and stressed sometimes i just cry because i dont know what to do and my mum wants to help but mostly we just decide not to ring the crisis center because we knoew it will be a waste of time.

i just wanted to say your not alone, and its deffenetly not "just you" or in your mind, i mean really these people have so much power they can send a mildly mentel patiant into a worse state and there carers who arnt ill i can imagine could also become ill.

its just horrific how some people have these jobs.

yours
jade
all my prayers are with you and mr man.

Mr Mans Wife said...

Hi jade,

Thank you so much for your comment. I apologise for the fact that you were unable to comment on my other blog - I haven't updated it for a long time so I disabled the comments. I have no idea why it says you need to be a team member because there aren't any team members! I have recently been thinking about starting to write on it again, but I need to think seriously about whether I am able to cope with this or not because I still struggle with my emotions regarding this subject.

I am so sorry that you have had such a bad time with mental health services. Unfortunately your experience is not uncommon, as you no doubt know. It's crazy to think that awareness campaigns are probably needed most within mental health services, but sadly I think this is the case. They seem to forget that the national statistic of 1 in 4 includes themselves, and that they could be patients one day.

I wish you better luck with services in the future. Thanks again for commenting. If I decide to write a blog post I might include your comments if that's ok with you?

bloodred1889 said...

sure that would be great, people need to know how others are being treated so they dont go thinking its all in there heads like me and you have both been through.
it can be a really bad time thinking that they are right and it is all just you and nothings really wrong.

i hope you and mr man are doing ok from day to day.

yours
jade