If you are considering the possibility of caring for a family member, then it is important to understand exactly what that might entail. A carer must provide crucial support and care to the person they are caring for. This can mean helping with tasks like cooking, providing transport and, of course, personal hygiene. It is estimated that in the UK, there are currently around 6.5 million people providing care on an unpaid basis.
If you are considering becoming a family member carer, then it is important to consider all of the factors that are involved. Caring can be a difficult task, and with home care and live in care options available, it is possible for your loved one to remain in their own home and still receive the care they need. It is okay to decide that it may not be in the best interest of you or your loved one for you to take on the challenge yourself.
What do I need to become a carer for a family member?
To become an unpaid, informal, carer for someone in your family, there are no requirements. This is a role that many people fall into, not realising that they are a carer until they have been doing it for a while, or until it is pointed out to them. This can often happen when the care you provide starts out as a small amount and gradually builds up, and it can often be hard to distinguish the difference between being a family member and being a career.
The role of a carer involves helping someone who is not able to care for themselves. This may be as a result of advancing age, illness, disability or a medical condition. Without the support of a carer, the person being looked after may struggle with the tasks of daily life. The support needed will vary from one person to the next but could include things like helping with getting dressed, personal hygiene, cooking and food preparation, shopping, and even helping them remember to take important medication.
The challenges you might face
Caring for a family member can be a truly rewarding and fulfilling experience, but there can be some huge challenges that you will face along the way. It is these that will show you just what a huge responsibility you will be taking on. Some of the biggest challenges you will encounter include physical and emotional stress, time management, lack of sleep and privacy, possible financial difficulties, feeling isolated from others and not feeling like you can ask for help.
Physical and emotional stress
If you are caring for someone living with dementia or a simillar condition, it can be particularly emotionally draining. Seeing your loved one becoming increasingly forgetful and distressed will almost certainly take its toll. There are also the physical demands that apply to looking after someone with mobility issues. In the short term, these things may be manageable, but in the long term, you may find that you become stressed and overwhelmed – if this happens, there is support available to help you.
Time management
Those who are caregivers often find themselves with very little time for themselves or their families. It is often the case that spending time as a carer can result in hobbies being dropped and holidays being cancelled.
Lack of sleep
It can often be the case that the person you are caring for will have a sleep pattern that is not the norm, and this can result in your own sleep schedule being affected
Lack of privacy
One thing that family caregivers often state as a challenge that comes from caring for a family member is that there can be a lack of privacy. This can make it difficult to take time for themselves and to set boundaries.
Financial issues
When caring for a family member is done on an unpaid basis, this can cause financial strain for the carer. This is particularly true in cases where it takes them away from their paid job.
Feeling isolated
If the person you are looking after needs a lot of help and they are the only person that you see on a regular basis, then this may lead to feeling isolated. It is also possible that you may struggle to keep up with any social connections that you have outside of your caring role.
Not asking for help
Unfortunately, many carers struggle to ask for help. They feel that as part of the carer role, they need to be fully responsible for everything. This is simply not the case, and there are a good number of agencies out there that are available to help with a range of different challenges that you may encounter when looking after a family member.
The biggest challenge of all
Finding a balance between the role of caregiver and having some very important time for yourself is one of the biggest challenges that any caregiver faces. Taking time for yourself can feel like a selfish decision and one that can leave a caregiver feeling incredibly guilty. It is important to remember just how important having this rest time can be it is about more than just recharging the batteries. If you don’t look after yourself properly, then you will not be able to effectively give your loved ones the kind of care that they need.
The alternative
If part of the reason that you are considering becoming a carer for your family member is that you do not want to put them in a residential home, then there is an alternative. Homecare is becoming an increasingly popular option for those who need some care assistance but would like to stay in the familiar surroundings of their own home.
This option can be really beneficial for the person who needs caring for and does not have the same emotional and physical drain on a family member, this can help to keep the family bond strong and less stressful. A fully trained carer will be able to give all of the support that is needed backed by the support network of the company they are employed by whilst ensuring that your loved one has the best care possible in surroundings that they are familiar with.