Mental Health Carers Need More Help

I have discovered a great lack of support for relatives who care for people with a variety of mental and behavioural problems at home. There are indeed many links where it is possible for carers to go for help and advice but there seems to be a distinct lack of groups available where carers of those with mental and behavioural problems can meet other carers in the same situation in order to support each other and discuss the many things they have in common. No one knows the difficulties better than those who are experiencing them and it is a great help to know they are not alone.

AA not only provides help for the addict but also have groups for the family and friends concerned who can be of help to each other. More accessible groups like this are needed for relative carers of loved ones with mental illness and behavioural problems at home.
The UK government plan to employ many more social workers in the future but however well trained they are they go home at the end of the day, relative carers are there twenty four seven and only those that are know how difficult it is when problems arise, even if they can cope. Talking to other carers experiencing similar difficulties does help. Social workers may do all they can but providing helpful links is not enough specially when as many carers have found they are shunted from one link to another and end up in ever decreasing circles and get nowhere. I just hope that when this army of social workers arrive there is the back up of necessary services people can rely on.

I am sure that when carers have looked for help they more often than not receive very good advice on how to care for the person they are caring for, but how often are they given the help they need for themselves, and how many befrienders are there to help them.

http://www.carers-healingspur.co.uk/

Did you know that there are more elderly living below the poverty line in the UK than in Romania, and Bulgaria.

Daily Mail link http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1202378/Our-elderly-worse-Romanias-British-pensioners-poorest-Europe.html