Free course for carers

7:20pm Thursday 4th September 2008

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ADULTS who care for someone living with a long-term condition, disability or frailty are invited to attend a free course.

Looking After Me, an Expert Patients’ Programme course for carers, aims to help carers make time for themselves and look after their own health needs.

It aims to help carers take more control of their situation and make a difference to their lives. It is aimed at people who, themselves, have a health problem and are caring for someone else with an illness or disability, or any adult who is a carer and whose health is affected by it.

They could include back injury or stress-related illness, for example.

Worcestershire Primary Care Trust is putting on free courses, consisting of two hours, 30 minutes, one day each week, for six weeks.

The courses will be run by volunteers who, themselves, care for someone and also have a long-term condition.

Research has shown that regardless of the illness the person being cared for has, the things all carers have to deal with on a day-to-day basis are similar – tense muscles, pain, stress/anxiety, depression, fatigue and dealing with difficult emotions.

The course aims to tackle that by giving people self-help skills, confidence to take more control of their lives and the opportunity to share experiences within a small friendly group.

People who have attended similar courses have reported that it has helped them to manage their caring situation more effectively, be realistic about the impact of the caring situation on themselves and their family, develop more effective relationships with health and care professionals and use their skills and knowledge to lead a fuller life.

Two courses are planned. One, in the north of the county, will cover the Wyre Forest, Bromsgrove, Redditch and Droitwich areas.

If there is a big demand, the number of courses can be extended to accommodate that.

For more information or to book a place, contact Annette Jaep, on 01527 507055.