When you are caring for someone else it can be hard to remember to take care of yourself. But it is very important that you don’t become too stressed or run down. If you get very stressed then you may struggle more and more to look after both yourself and the person you care for. One of the challenges in looking after you is finding the time to do it. Everyone has different caring roles which affect their time and availability. People also have different preferences about what they like to do to relax.
Respite
Sometimes you may feel that you just need a bit of time out from your role as a carer. This can be a very common feeling. Respite care allows you to take a break from caring whether it is just for a couple of hours or a week. This can help you get caught up on tasks you weren’t quite managing to complete and allow you to get some rest and recharge. It also can help reduce your stress and worry as although you are not caring for the person at that particular time you know they are being looked after and being cared for by professionals. You also may be able to use direct payments to pay for some help to allow you a little bit of time to relax.
See resources for organisations that can help.
Care and Carers - helplines and supportStress