Category Archives: Aimed at Carers

Blog posts aimed at non paid carers caring for someone unwell.

Important Signs that It’s Time to Ask for Help as a Caregiver

Welcome to another blog post on carer / caregiver awareness from carer activist Matthew McKenzie. To see the video of this blog post, watch below.

Recognizing the Need for Help as a Caregiver: 10 Signs to Watch Out For

Caring for a loved one is often a rewarding experience filled with deep connection and personal satisfaction. However, it can also become overwhelming, exhausting, and challenging. Acknowledging that you need help is a crucial step in providing the best care for both your loved one and yourself. Here, we’ll explore 10 important signs that indicate it may be time to ask for help in your caregiving role.

Feeling Overwhelmed with Your Caring Role

Caregiving involves juggling numerous responsibilities, which can lead to constant stress and anxiety. If you often feel like you’re unable to cope, it’s a clear indication that you need support. Feeling overwhelmed is not a sign of weakness; it’s a human response to a heavy load. Remember, it’s perfectly okay to ask for help and share the burden.

Physical Exhaustion

The physical demands of caregiving can be immense. Lifting, moving, and assisting your loved one can take a toll on your body. If you find yourself frequently fatigued, or if you experience chronic pain or other health issues, it’s important to seek help. Ignoring these symptoms can lead to caregiver burnout, which ultimately benefits no one.

Emotional Strain

Caregiving can also be emotionally taxing. Signs of depression, irritability, or frequent mood swings may indicate that you need emotional support. Friends, family, or professional counselors can provide the necessary outlet for your feelings and help you manage the emotional strain that comes with caregiving.

Changes in Your Loved One’s Needs

Your loved one’s condition may worsen over time, increasing their care needs. When this happens, don’t hesitate to ask for assistance. Professional help can be crucial during periods of significant change, ensuring your loved one receives the best care possible while you adapt to new demands.

Neglecting Personal Needs

It can be easy to lose sight of your own health, relationships, and hobbies when you’re focused on caregiving. However, neglecting your personal needs can lead to serious health and emotional issues. Seeking help can give you the space to take care of yourself, restoring balance and allowing you to be a stronger caregiver.

Isolation

Feeling lonely or disconnected is a common experience among caregivers. This isolation can exacerbate stress and make the caregiving role even more challenging. Reaching out for support, whether from family, friends, or caregiver support groups, can help you reconnect and remind you that you’re not alone in this journey.

Crisis Situations

In times of emergency or when faced with making tough decisions about your loved one’s care, seeking help is essential. Attempting to navigate these moments alone can be risky. Professional advice and support can provide the guidance you need to make the best possible decisions during a crisis.

Lack of Knowledge or Skills

Caregiving often involves tasks that require specific knowledge or skills, such as medical care or managing medications. If you encounter tasks you’re unsure how to handle, it’s crucial to seek guidance. Professional help can ensure that these tasks are performed correctly, safeguarding your loved one’s health.

Inability to Maintain Routine

Maintaining a consistent daily routine is vital for both you and your loved one. If you find that daily routines are regularly disrupted and you’re struggling to manage time, consider asking for assistance. A little help can go a long way in restoring structure and reducing stress.

Need for Respite

Everyone needs a break occasionally. If you feel the need to take time for self-care or to recharge, don’t hesitate to ask for help. Whether this comes from family, friends, or respite care services, taking the time to rest is essential for maintaining your well-being and being an effective caregiver.

Conclusion: Seeking Help is a Sign of Strength

Recognizing and acting on these signs doesn’t mean you’re failing as a caregiver; it means you’re taking necessary steps to ensure the best care for your loved one and yourself. Asking for help is an act of strength and responsibility. Take the initiative today to reach out and seek the support you need in your caregiving journey.

Top 10 ways to hold the NHS to account as a carer

When caring for someone, it is only a matter of time before you use the NHS. The National Health Service was set up to provide health no matter what your background. We all deserve the best healthcare provided for us.

Times have changed and feedback regarding the NHS is very important. This is especially important if you are an unpaid carer. You will have a different perspective when it comes to hold the NHS to account.

I have made a short video on ways to hold the NHS to account. It is not about always complaining, it is about helping to steer the NHS to include the carer’s voice.

We are all in this together although I do understand that there will be times you cannot feedback. The NHS is a massive complex set of systems, but we have a duty to be vocal because we deserve the best. Be that change and use your voice. As a carer it is your right.

Top 10 signs you should seek help if caring for someone

Welcome back to another carer awareness blog from carer activist Matthew McKenzie. Now we all want to be there for someone who is going through long term or sudden ill health.

We do not want to fail our loved ones, but there are some illnesses that put a lot of pressure on the caring role.

Here are some examples

Feeling Overwhelmed with your caring role.
Physical Exhaustion
Emotional Strain
Changes in Your Relative’s Needs

It is not the fault of the carer or cared for, but it is important caregivers know the signs in order to ask for help.

Below I have made a short video that shows 10 signs that its time to ask for help as an unpaid or informal carer.

Caring for someone close to us, should be one of the most cherished experiences of our lives. It is important that the pressure of the caring role does not cause us to walk away.

What are carers rights?

Another carer awareness and carers rights blog post from Matthew McKenzie. When caring for someone with long term illness. It is very important to be aware of your carers rights.

We all have them, but unfortunately most of us are not aware and might not be told about those rights. We are too busy worrying about the health of our loved one or close relative.

As of 2024 21st of november. It will be Carers Rights day and although I will do my best to raise awareness of this important day for carers and organisations that support carers. I thought to make a blog and video now.

It is all too easy to fall into the role of unpaid caregiver and not reach out for any support. This is important to recognise. As carers, we also need some support in our caring role.

Remember to feedback on my video and good luck recognising your carers rights.

Identifying yourself as a cancer caregiver

Welcome back to another blog poster from Matthew McKenzie, carer activist and a member of the Macmillan Cancer Community Network. I chair the National Cancer carer forum aimed at those caring for someone living with cancer.

if you struggle with caring for someone with cancer. As carers, we never want to see our loved ones struggle. But caring for someone with cancer can be incredibly frightening. It’s hard to be strong for them if you’re struggling too. That’s why it’s so important to identify yourself as a carer.

Feel free to watch the short carer awareness video I made below.

By registering at your doctor’s surgery, a carer centre, or a Macmillan Cancer Support group, you can access the support you need. Get the help you deserve. Remember, you’re not alone in this. By identifying yourself as a carer, you’re opening the door to resources, advice, and a community that understands what you’re going through.

You can also register for my online group, that runs the last Wednesday of the month.

Click this link to book for the group

Take that step today. For yourself, and for your loved one. You’re doing an amazing role. Get yourself supported every step of the way.

Quotes to cope with sadness and grief

Welcome to my site raising awareness of those who care for someone with long term illness.

Caring for someone going through either mental health conditions or cancer can be a special role, but also challenging. Caring for someone close or a close friend can be an emotional rollarcoster. As carers there are times when we just cannot be in command of our own emotions.

Due to these challenges, you will experience decline in the person’s mental and physical health. This is distressing to experience and deal with. Every so often I release videos to help those focus on combating these difficult emotions. Even if for a short while.

Feel free to watch my video below.

If you are caring for someone. Remember to look after yourself.

Coping skills for carers and caregivers

Welcome to another carer awareness blog post from carer activist Matthew McKenzie. Today I want to raise awareness that carers should not always helpless and vulnerable. It is true that there are many things a carer cannot control, but that does not mean we should remain helpless.

There are coping strategies carers should try. It might seem like a cheap way to solve difficult and challenging issues, but the risk is mental and physical decline if you do not arm yourself with coping strategies. This is particularly important if you are caring for someone with challenging health issues.

There are ways carers can support themselves by developing problem solving skills in tackling isolation, negative thoughts and falling into bad coping habits.

First and foremost, it is critical that we admit that we are caring for someone. Once you get past that hurdle, you need to be aware of when you struggle with moods. There is no easy solution, as developing coping methods take time and energy. It helps to understand mindfulness and write about your feelings.

Understand what triggers you and work out a way to reduce those triggers. Getting angry about everything is a reaction and we need to protect our mental health. We cannot keep reacting to things, even if certain things are outside our control. This is especially when it comes to the health of the person we are caring for.

It is important to also set time aside to care for yourself. It might be exercsing by going for a quick walk or having to set boundaries. Some people wear themselves down due to their role and it is not helped with a fragile health and social care system. This does not mean there should be the tragedy of the ‘cared for’ suffering and also the carer. It is not selfish trying to set time for ourselves.

It could be a hobby, talking to a close friend or even confiding in another carer who has gone through that caring experience.

For more information on coping skills, please check out my video below.

Thanks for stopping by and if you are caring for someone, please also look after yourself.

The importance of supporting Black and Asian carers

Welcome back to another blog post by carer activist Matthew McKenzie. I raise awareness of caring for someone with a long term illness.

This time I want to bring to attention something close to my lived experience of a carer. It is important in a multicultural society that we have health and social care for all. The health service cannot cater only for one specific need. The health system must reflect its community.

Carers from Black and Asian demographic tend to face their own unique challenges when supporting someone through the health system. Language problems, Biases, cultural misconceptions, alienation and even racism.

No one can now deny there is and always has been elements of discrimination through established health systems. Such predjudice has always been lurking behind the community and now due to the riots, it has raised its head. We now need to focus on unpaid carers from that background even more.

We must support our diverse community of carers, not because it is the right thing to do, but because it will benefit us all in the long run. It all starts with education and engagement. We need to all care about health and social care, because that how we change things.

Please check out my You Video below for more about minority carers

What is carer peer support

Welcome back to another blog post from carer activist Matthew McKenzie. I post my thoughts, ideas and experiences when it comes to those caring for someone with long term illness.

I run many groups aimed at those caring for someone with mental illness or Cancer, you can probably see most of my groups off the forum section off this website.

However, many wonder why I run so many groups? Why do I commit to connecting with carers? Well, I have learned many things over the years when my caring role was getting challenging.

I found myself isolated, distressed and anxious. I wondered if I was the only one struggling and making mistakes when trying to support my family. It was not long before attending a carer support group, I got to meet others who were also caring for someone living with mental illness.

The other carers often checked up on me and that gave me the idea to set up several WhatsApp groups so we can stay connected as a peer group. The groups have an added impact of reducing isolation, being kept up to date on news and event, building up a carers network and being beneficial overall to mental wellbeing.

Over the years I managed to develop my online carer groups to have a peer structure so others can feel connected and heard.

If you want to find out the importance of carer peer groups, check out my video below on what is carer peer support.

Thanks for reading.

How to Cope as a carer

Welcome to another blog from carer activist Matthew McKenzie. You know, when I first was caring for someone, I did not pay much attention to detail. I just rushed in and tried to care for my mother without much thought to how to support myself.

In the end, I had to reflect back about my experiences. I had to share what I had learned as a carer, so then I wrote a book called “A Caring Mind”.

Still, writing a book is not enough, I had to write blogs and make videos in order to influence and raise carer awareness.

It is so important to stop and think about the long journey ahead. We are not certain of the future, but one thing I can tell many carers is that there certainly will be challenges and frustrations.

I felt it was high time to do a short video reminding others that there are ways to cope when caring. We do not need to rush and exhaust ourselves when providing unpaid care, or at least limit the challenges.

Feel free to watch my short video below on how to cope as a carer.