Carers Week 2021: making caring visible and valued
Join us in making caring visible and valued
Carers week is a time to highlight the challenges carers face and celebrate the amazing contribution they provide to families and communities.
Sight loss affects the whole family
While we help blind veterans get back on their feet, we provide support to their carers and families. Blind Veterans UK is here to help you through:
- Tailored advice and support from our qualified community support workers
- Sessions during our virtual Introductory Weeks (on request)
- Respite for veterans to give family members and carers a well-earned break (on hold due to Covid-19)
- Signposting to other support services
- Providing opportunities to attend social events, carer sessions and meet other carers who are in the same boat (on hold due to Covid-19)
The support from Blind Veterans UK has been amazing for both of us. When Bob goes to the Brighton centre I get a little break and can spend some time in the garden. We’re both so grateful.
Carer for a blind veteran
Listen as Ann describes life as a carer
Ann cares for 97-year-old blind veteran Jack.
We asked Ann to share her top 5 tips on being a carer
Meet Linda
She is the previous winner of our Carers Recognition Award.
On our last Founders Day in 2019 - that took place before the pandemic - a series of awards were presented to mark the occasion. One of these was the Carers Recognition Award, which was given to Linda, married to blind veteran Tony. The extract below is from Linda's nomination submitted by Emma, Tony's Community Support Worker.
"They have been together for over 30 years. In 2010, Tony had a stroke and his health hugely deteriorated, becoming totally reliant on Linda for care. While this affected Tony physically and mentally, it also had an impact on their relationship. Linda spends every day caring for Tony without support. He is unable to undertake any of his own personal care and has very limited mobility. Linda says she would never want anybody else to care for him.
"Linda has talked about at times how lonely and isolating it can feel caring for your partner. Her life has its limits now. She is always very positive about Tony and cares for him with such love and patience. She is careful never to complain or make Tony feel like a burden. She ensures Tony's dignity is respected and that he has as full a life as possible. She doesn't go out very often and her own health issues have meant at times she has struggled to care for Tony.
"She is so selfless and humble and only ever wants to make sure Tony is okay. Despite all of the above, Linda remains upbeat and works tirelessly to ensure Tony is happy. Caring can be a hugely demanding and thankless task at times, but Linda would never show it. She continues to ensure Tony has the best care and support possible, much to her own detriment, but she wouldn't have it any other way. It is for this reason I think she deserves the Carers Recognition Award."
"Winning the award means a lot to me. It's lovely to be recognised. Thank you so much to Emma and everybody at Blind Veterans UK who have done so much for me and Tony."
Carer for a blind veteran
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