Day Five of Carers Week 2021
Welcome to Day Five of Carers Week 2021. The theme this year is 'Making Caring Visible and Valued.' During the week, Shetland Carers hope to raise the profile of unpaid carers and try to identify hidden carers who are not currently receiving support.
Today's theme is 'Take a Break.'
For your information today:
*We want to encourage carers, and the people they care for, to have a 'break', i.e. some time out from their regular caring routines. We want you to use the money to do something that you enjoy, that will give you something to look forward to and will help promote good health and wellbeing.
Shetland Carers secured money from Shared Care Scotland's Time to Live fund last year, which has now all been allocated. We hope to have additional funding again from Shared Care Scotland in October 2021. However, we are delighted to announce that our Time For Me Short Break Grant Scheme, for anyone providing a significant amount of care to someone UNDER 21 years, is now open again after securing funding from Shetland Charitable Trust.
For full information about the Time for Me Short Break Grant Scheme, including details of how to apply, please visit:
*Despite Shetland having moved to Level Zero recently, we are aware that many people still prefer to stay at home or stay local for the time being. Therefore, we want to encourage carers to use their Short Break grant even more 'creatively' to enable them to do this.
Some of our carers have recently been using their grant towards an overnight stay at Busta, a staycation at Voortrekker Shetland, a treadmill, a digital camera, arts and crafts materials, a wetsuit, a storm suit, books and a bike.
For more details of how to take a break at these times, please visit:
https://www.sharedcarescotland.org.uk/resources/short-breaks-at-home/
*Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) tapping routine to help clear stress, with Diane Taylor of Shetland Resolve. To view the routine please click on the following link:
*Another way you can have a break is to use Shetland Care Attendant Scheme (SCAS) and have a care attendant look after your cared for person so you can have a break. Care Attendants are employed who go into people's homes to allow carers to go out and have a break from their caring role. This benefits both the carer and cared for person.
Carers need not feel they have to go out to have a break. They can have some 'me time' at home doing something they enjoy such as gardening, DIY, going for a walk, or simply having a rest and quiet time in another room.
For more information, please contact Karen Fraser at SCAS on 01595 743931 or email scas@shetland.org
*We would like to share some quotes with you from some of our carers who have received a Short Break grant from us. It's super to hear how much their break has helped them. Take a look at our short presentation, or if you would prefer, you can view it as a video on our Facebook page:
