Who we support
Blackpool Carers’ dedicated teams provide age appropriate support to carers from as young as 5 years, up to adults in their 90s and their families.
The support we offer our carers is tailored to their needs and requirements.
Read what some of our carers have to say about our service, below.
Carers' True Stories
Adult Carer
My name is Helen and I am a carer for my Dad. He has Alzheimers and dementia. I was referred to Blackpool Carers by the Memory Clinic.
I enrolled on the Dementia Awareness course which has helped me to understand my Dad’s condition and how I can help us both to deal with things better. Following the diagnosis I had started to see my Dad in a different light which had been so difficult. The course helped me to put things into perspective and find new understanding. I have also attended the Mindfulness and 5 Steps to Wellbeing courses which gave me some time for myself. I am also now volunteering for Blackpool Carers and I love seeing how it all works.
Before I was referred to Blackpool Carers I felt totally isolated. Other than my daughter, I have no other family. I didn’t know how to cope with Dad’s diagnosis. I was extremely lonely.
Since receiving support I am more confident and look at things differently. I have met others who understand and who are there for me. I am still trying hard not to be so critical of myself but I now feel I belong and have someone to turn to.
Young Carer
My name is Anna and I have a very intense caring role. I care for my stepdad who has numerous health problems that affect his mobility and ability to look after himself.
I do most of the things in the home; household chores, helping with the shopping, decorating and finances. I also help with personal care such as bathing and washing his back and hair. I also help to look after my 4 younger siblings, helping them getting ready for school, picking them up and dropping them off.
I am quite positive about my caring role. I don’t mind helping my step dad and siblings, but I find that my caring role takes up a lot of my time and I sometimes feel trapped at home and feel socially isolated.
I was referred to Blackpool Carers by my school. I attended peer support sessions and joined the Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) programme. I also attended trips and activities, accessed one to one support and had help writing a CV which has really helped me to progress.
Since receiving support from Blackpool Carers I’ve become more confident in social situations. I’ve made new friends and gained new skills attained through achieving the DofE Award. The support is really good and gives me a break. It has given me a better understanding and taught me different ways to deal with caring. It has helped both me and my family.
I am now using all that I’ve learnt to help me find employment.
Family Support
My name is Ellie May and I care for my mum. She recently spent 5 months in hospital due to poor mental health. Now that mum is out of hospital I check that she has taken her medication on a daily basis. I help her with the household chores to give her a break. I help to clean up and tidy around the house and do jobs such as hoover up. I spend time with my mum and check in on her to make sure she is feeling ok. In the mornings, before going to school, I wake my mum up and make sure that she has everything she needs before I go out.
Before having a support worker from Blackpool Carers I used to get confused about how I could help to make my mum better and to understand about her condition. I used to get worried in case mum was to get really poorly again and what that would mean for me.
My support worker, Emma, came to see me and helped me to understand information about why my mum was poorly. We spent time together working on an emergency plan which helped me to spot signs and symptoms of my mum becoming poorly again. She also helped me to understand ways that mum and me can calm down and relax. We put together a list of contact numbers in case of an emergency. Emma also helped me to prepare for my move to high school and gave me ideas about putting in a good bedtime routine and a morning routine to help me to get the best out of school and look after myself.
I really enjoyed going to the respite party at Blackpool Carers. I had a great time and it was lots of fun! I’m looking forward to joining more respite sessions and making new friends.
I feel that I can cope much better with helping my mum because I now have a better understanding of the effects of my mum’s mental health.
I understand that she may progressively get better but I also understand that she may have dips with her mental health. What I have learnt through Blackpool Carers will help me in managing what the future holds.