Accessing Help and Support
Support can come from a wide range of sources, both formal services and informal support systems such as family, friends and neighbours. Locating the right kind of support can be difficult. However, it is important that you find people able to support you in your caring role, so that you do not feel alone. A number of carers have described the importance of locating the right type of support early on. Finding an individual or friend who champion your cause and who you can turn to for practical advice and support makes caring much easier both physically and emotionally. This supporter can be a family member or friend, someone from your local carers association who you can confide in and talk to.
Some carers have reported difficulties with family and friends who they thought they could rely on. Tensions can arise through perceived insensitive comments, thoughtless remarks, a lack of practical help or no contact from previously close friends. Some friends and family members may find the whole situation very difficult to comprehend and perhaps are frightened by the changes in both the person who is ill and the family.
Formal support services to investigate include primary care services (e.g. your GP), social care services, and voluntary services, which can be accessed through your local authority. Some carers found counselling services accessed through their GP or the hospital useful. Counselling is a very personal decision. Longer term, carers may turn to palliative care support including Marie Curie and Macmillan support and your local hospice.
Some contact details for support services that you may wish to investigate are shown here including information on how to access respite services, day care services, as well as support groups.
Day care and respite care services
www.hospiceinformation.info – this site will not only allow you to find a hospice near you but also look at the facilities and respite or day care that may be available to both the person you are caring for as well as you the carer.
Support groups
The following sites all have lists of support groups that carers can join covering most of the UK:
Meningioma UK
Brain Tumour Action (this one is based in Scotland only)
Andreas Gift (this one is a Yorkshire based site but also has a list of other groups in the UK
Brain Tumour Trust (this one covers groups in Hartley Witney and Worcester)
United Brain Tumour Campaign
Carers UK
Hammerout (this one is based in SW England but also has links to other groups across the country).
Your local council may also list local carer’s groups. So it is worth getting in touch with them if you think that this will be helpful to you.
You can also find out about local day centres and help at home provided by your local authority through the Direct Gov website at: www.direct.gov.uk