Parkinson’s Awareness Week surrounds World Parkinson’s Day, which takes place today Wednesday, April 11, its aim is to help raise awareness, bring people together, share stories and change people’s attitudes. Parkinson’s disease affects up to 14 million people worldwide which is 1 in every 500 people. There are three key symptoms of Parkinson’s: an involuntary shaking movement in one or more parts of the body; stiff or inflexible muscles; and slower or less co-ordinated body movement. For further information on symptoms you can visit the NHS pages here As a carer who cares for someone with Par ..read more

This month marks LGBT History Month, its aim is to promote equality and diversity for the benefit of the public and think about what more there is to do within our lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) communities. The theme for this year 2018 is Geography: Mapping Our World. Carers UK estimate there are 390,000 LGBT carers in the UK and yet these carers from lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) communities may not always feel they are being acknowledged as a valuable member of their local community and there may be LGBT-specific barriers to them accessing local services and s ..read more

Young Carers Awareness Day 25 January 2018 recognises the 700,000 young carers in the UK, children and young people under the age of 18 and as young as 5 years old. Whilst all unpaid carers juggle their caring duties alongside their everyday lives, young carers have the added pressure of school, many of which keep their caring responsibilities a secret from their peers, others are bullied due to caring, or miss school altogether. Evidence shows young carers need the right amount of support and guidance in place to help them reach their potential. Their self-esteem and self-confidence can be ..read more

Over 2 million people have given up employment at some point to care for family or friends with long-term illness, disability or problems related to old age, whilst 3 million carers have had to reduce their working hours. The Commons’ Work and Pensions Select Committee opened an Inquiry on 14th November 2017 the, the results of which will feed into the carers strategy. The Inquiry will focus on: The support that carers receive in relation to employment, for example, whether carers are supported adequately by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), How the DWP can work more proactively with ..read more

Carers Rights day theme this year is Make Connections, Get Support. It is all about organisations coming together to help carers in local communities get the help, support and advice they are entitled to. It’s also the opportunity for everyone to find hidden carers and signpost to the right organisations locally and nationally as required. Carers UK have created two guides to help carers found here https://www.carersuk.org/news-and-campaigns/carers-rights-day/find-out-about-your-rights Carer guide ‘Looking after someone’ which is for anyone caring for family or friends   Self advocacy guide ..read more

Celebrating Age will be the focus of an event in Bristol at the weekend. The Celebrating Age Festival  on  23 September offers older people and their carers the opportunity to share experiences, make new friends and try out activities such as craft. 60 organisations are taking part so it will be a great one-stop shop for Bristol residents to find out about the things they can tap into locally. Trained staff will offer advice, health checks and massages. There will be a fashion show, dance performances, crochet for beginners, Qigong, pottery, cooking demonstrations and more. The event is free ..read more

Two new community cafes have opened in Staffordshire to provide a break for carers and those living with chronic health conditions. The monthly events are free and take place in Stafford and Eccleshall offering support and refreshments. There is already a Living Well Community Café in Rugeley. The cafes provide a place for carers to come for fun, entertainment, advice and guidance. Guest speakers will be invited from health care professionals to community support services. They are run by carers association Cass working with Mac Clinical Research. Rugeley – Lea Hall Sports and Social Club on ..read more

Do you have a child with hearing loss? Sarah is a full time GP and mother to two daughters born with hearing loss. She kindly agreed to an interview about her experiences as a parent carer and her voluntary work with HearPeers.   Do you view yourself as a parent or a parent carer? I’ve always viewed myself more as a parent than a carer, but I know I have to do a lot more with my children than other parents.  How did you feel after giving birth to Jessica and Penny? Not sure how to answer this one… Jessica’s birth was 30 hours long, so mostly I was exhausted! Penny was an emergency and she ha ..read more

Although pregnancy and having a baby can be happy times, they are not for every mum. Inevitably, when a mum is distressed, it can be challenging for that mum’s partner, family and friends. In Pre and Post-Natal Depression Awareness Week, we wanted to signpost you to the help available from the PANDAS Foundation. They have a variety of support services all run by a trained team of volunteers. You can call their Helpline on 0843 2898401 It is open from 9am-8pm every day. If you prefer to seek assistance via email, get in touch with info@pandasfoundation.org.uk and they will get back to you with ..read more

Are you looking after someone in Devon? Devon Carers is an information and support service run by six organisations working together to improve the quality of services for all unpaid carers in Devon. The partnership encourages unpaid carers to take a first step towards getting support by giving them a call on 03456 434 4351. The helpline is open from 8am to 6pm from Monday to Friday. It also opens on Saturday from9am to 1pm.  Benefits to carers include: a regular newsletter with information about events, groups and training in your area and contact with an advice worker. You can also get help ..read more