Why vital short breaks are for unpaid carers #CarersWeek
We are dedicated to creating short break opportunities for unpaid carers in Scotland. To give you an insight into why here’s an interesting statistic from Carers UK – by the time we turn 49, there is a 50:50 chance we will become an unpaid carer. It’s likely that many people in this age bracket will continue to work in a paid job, as well as other commitments such as raising their children and running a home. And that’s before they even factor in “me time” for activities they enjoy to do in their spare time! This means that regular short breaks from their caring routine is vital in maintaining their health and wellbeing.
Below is an honest and heartwarming testimonial from a family who told us just what it meant for them to take a short break through Respitality:
Sarah and William* are unpaid carers for their son Zach, who has Autism Spectrum Disorder. William also provides emotional support for Sarah as she has mental health issues.
As well as a multiple caring role, William works full time. Sarah and William find it difficult to spend time together as a couple, and this has unfortunately created a strain on their relationship. So when they were offered a Respitality break at Glenshielling House in Blairgowrie, they accepted the break immediately with no hesitation. They hadn’t spent time away on a break together as a couple in over 5 years, so they knew how important it was for them to re-connect.
After the break, Sarah wrote a heartwarming letter to the business to explain when the break meant to them:
“To Richard and Louise. I cannot thank you enough for your hospitality. I will be forever grateful for what it has done for me and my husband. The Respitality break you provided has been life changing. As well as being a carer, I suffer with crippling anxiety. The warm welcome we received and Louise’s listening ear when we chatted made me feel instantly at ease, which meant for the first time in 5 years I could fully relax. For this, I cannot thank you enough.
As a carer I get very little time to focus on being a wife, and the break allowed me to do this and gave us some desperately needed time as a couple.
In the morning, we received a warm welcome from Richard, and nothing was too much trouble. Breakfast itself was cooked to perfection and my poached egg was out of this world! We were so sad to leave especially as you had both been so kind as to offer us to stay another night. I can never thank you both enough for this as it made my mum realise just how much the break was good for me. She’s agreed to have the boys for a whole weekend so we can come back later on in the year to your beautiful home.
The break has meant I found somewhere I am comfortable and can take all my ‘hats’ off and just be me! Thank you from the bottom of my heart and I can’t wait to see you both later on this year.”
*Name of unpaid carer and family have been anonymised.
Carers Week is an annual and national campaign to raise awareness of caring, highlight the challenges unpaid carers face and recognise the contribution they make to families and communities throughout the UK. This year’s Carers Week is from 7th-13th June – this year we are coming together with thousands of other organisations and groups to help make caring visible and valued. Follow the hashtag #CarersWeek on social media to follow the campaign.
To follow Respitality’s dedication to short breaks for carers, you can follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn & Twitter