2 weeks Ago
Growing pressures in an ageing society to care for family members is leading to more people across Dorset feeling burnt out and struggling to cope with mounting pressures. Alison French, who has 20 years of experience in the local care industry said people need more spaces to get things off their chest and relieve the stress that comes with caring for a loved one. (Image: Alison French) Ms French said: “I have worked in Dorset over 20 years and I would say it’s a lot worse now than it was 20 years ago.
It’s growing and puts pressure on everyone because it puts pressure on councils and loved ones and families.” Ms French, registered manager of Homelium, a quality care commission which provides carers for people in need, recognised the growing demand for support services in the area. She decided to start Caregiver Coffee Mornings in Blandford Forum in December and hopes more members of the care community will attend as the year goes on.
She said: “We are trying to give back to local community and it’s early days but it would be nice to see more people to help them get things off their chest. “Just to share their experience with other people – it keeps people healthy. I always worry that main care givers will pass away before the person that is having the care because they’re under so much pressure and don’t feel they have enough support.
” The latest support morning ran on April 16 and are free to attend. You do not need to be a registered carer. Other support mornings also run in Ringwood.
Ms French is hoping that the mornings may help relieve ‘carer burnout’, where people are physically exhausted from the stress of supporting loved ones. Signs of carer burnout include negative thoughts, snappiness and changing sleep patterns, often due to juggling unpaid caring responsibilities with work. Emily Jones, social media and marketing executive at Homelium said: “It’s a state of being overwhelmed physically and emotionally because you’re giving your all for this person.
"Sometimes it can feel lonely and sometimes a lot of it could be down to money and financial stability. A lot of people can’t afford to put people in care." As well as offering the support mornings for anyone who needs them.
Homelium provides two hours of free care to anyone who needs a break from caring for loved ones. According to Carers UK, there were roughly 5.8 million unpaid carers in the UK in 2021.
Women are more likely to be carers than men. More information on the caregiver coffee mornings, including when they take place, can be found on online on Homelium's website..
