Being a parent then finding you have become a carer for for your adult child takes a bit of adjusting to. Hospitals can become your second home and there are a few simple things people can do to help and support carers, carers will be stressed worrying and scared even if they look like their holding it together, they put on a brave face to protect the person they are caring for. You can help carers by

 

1: Recognise that carers care for people of all ages!

 

2: Acknowledge us! A kind word or just a hello can make so much difference. You might be the only person the carer speaks to all day.

 

3: Please don’t treat us like a inconvenience or that we’re in the way – we are here to help!

 

4: Be mindful that many carers either forget to eat or find it difficult to get something to eat at meal times, as this is often when extra support is needed for the person they care for. 

 

5: Carers don’t work shifts – for many it is 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and comes with a huge responsibility at personal cost. Many carers will be at the hospital all day and stay through the night.

 

6: A cup of tea may seem an insignificant thing, but to a carer being asked if you’d like a cup of tea is so much more! It is the kindest gesture that shows someone has thought about you seen you and that you’re not invisible, that people care.