If you have been reading our blog over the past few months you will have read some tips about spotting the early signs of dementia.
We have discussed the fear of a dementia diagnosis and as a carer what your expectation is. In each article, we have touched upon the importance of the carer.
Support for Carers
If you are a carer and you are reading this article YOU need every little bit of support on offer. Life as a carer has been described by one family member we were supporting recently that they had ‘lost their voice’. Your days can be a juggle, we know that and often your patience pushed to the max! No day is the same and what worked one day might not the next. It might be that you are exhausted because your sleep is disturbed, that you are alone and don’t know where to turn or that you are plain fed up and need someone to talk to.
It is imperative that whilst you seek support and care for your loved one that YOU get the same amount, (in different ways) for yourself. There seems to be a void in the system whereby the person with dementia gets all the support.
How Ivy House Can Support You
There is a FREE Support Group at Ivy House every month on the first Saturday of the month.
There is a FREE drop-in singing session every Friday from 2.30pm at Ivy House where you can come with your loved one, join in or just have a cup of tea and sit back and let someone else do the caring you don’t need to let us know you are coming just come!
How about coming to The Eastbourne Dementia Café at Caffe Nero on the last Friday of the month – drop in for advice and support and we’ll buy you a coffee!
We host two opportunities for you to eat with others, one at our Sunday Lunch Club and the Supper Club. They are both held every month with delicious home cooked food. The ground floor of Ivy is turned into a restaurant! We keep the pricing as low as we can and do need your menu choices in advance!
Join our Open House on Saturday 30th March and meet the Ivy House community which is the perfect opportunity to get a feel for Ivy if the other events don’t feel quite right.
The upshot of this article is; don’t leave it too late to create a community.
Sharing time with people who are living similar lives can be incredibly empowering. The importance of sharing is vital. Many families and carers we meet feel guilty for seeking outside support because they feel that it’s a family and carers duty to cope alone. This should never be the case. Taking regular breaks and socialising is so important.
We are community driven and passionate about raising awareness and acceptance. If you’re interested in joining any of our events above, please get in touch!
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