Carer Support Programme

Devon St John Ambulance provide a carer support programme to help people in a caring role. The programme is provided free of charge.

The Programme is open to all carers over the age of 18 who provide voluntary care.

Is this for you?

If you answer yes to any of the following questions then we can help you:

• Do you provide care for a member of your family, a friend or a neighbour?
• Would you like the opportunity to gain more skills and knowledge to help you in your caring role?
• Do you need training in stress management, basic first aid, safer moving and handling and how to prevent falls?
• Do you want to meet other carers to share experiences, exchange advice and ideas and at the same time make friends?

Feedback from carers

Margaret Perry, 57, from Sidmouth, cares for her husband and her mother, and is also herself registered disabled with rheumatoid arthritis. She said: 'For a stranger to understand what a carer does one would have to give a huge amount of details therefore one keeps quiet about it and bottles it up,' said Margaret. 'On this course it was such a relief to be able to talk freely. We all felt we could say things we hadn’t said to anyone before.

'I made a new friend on the course and we have been out for lunch twice and now attend the monthly Alzheimers Society meetings. I hadn’t had any time for myself since 2004, now I take a break – Emma made me see that some respite is important for my own health. My husband has a carer in for a couple of hours and I go to a seafront hotel for tea and biscuits and read my book, and I don’t feel guilty anymore.

'There have been practical benefits as well. I now have a stair basket for Mum to carry things upstairs. Only this morning my husband tripped and fell and rather than trying to lift him myself I stayed calm, bought a stool and held on to him so he could turn around, get onto his knees and get himself up the right way.'

In the survey carried out after the course, carers mentioned how much they appreciated meeting others in a similar position, and how much they had learnt from each other (27%).

One in five felt their caring role was easier to manage knowing they were not alone; many felt less isolated and others more confident as a result of the course.

Each carer taking part is given a resource pack full of valuable information and details of local services and support, and a first aid kit to take away at the end of the four session course.

Devon is amongst only six counties that are currently running the course. To be eligible for the free course, people have to be aged over 18 and care for someone over the age of 18, unpaid. The programme features four morning sessions, over a four – six week period, starting at 10am and closing with a free lunch at 1pm.

The course includes subjects such as:

• an introduction to caring skills
• safer handling, advice on back care and prevent of injury
• stress management
• prevention of falls.

2012  Courses

Plymouth    (St. Budeaux Library) Wednesdays 1/8 February

                       (HQ Building, Union Street) Tuesdays 6/13/20/27 February

                      (Estover St. John Ambulance area HQ) EVENING COURSE 6 - 9pm Wednesdays 18/25 April and 2/9 May

                      (Plympton Library) Tuesdays 8/15/22/29 May

                      (Plymstock Library) Monday 25 June. Mondays 2/9/16 July

                      (Local Care Centre Mount Gould) Mondays 1/8/22/29 October

                      (Plymstock Unitied Church) Thursdays 11/18/25 October and 8 November

                      (Central library) Tuesday 30 October. Tuesdays 6/13/20 November

                      (Crownhill St. John HQ) Wednesdays 7/14/21/28 November

Exeter          (Wat Tyler House) on Wednesdays 22/29 February, 7/14 March

Barnstaple (Forches Community Centre) on Thursdays 23 Feb and 1/8/15 March

Exeter         (Wat Tyler House) on Tuesdays 4/11/18/25 September

Sidmouth   (SJA HQ) on Wednesdays 19/26 September and 10/17 October

BME CSP -  Exeter on Mondays16/23 April and 10/24 September

                       Barnstaple on 24 May/11 June 12/26 November

Further details

For further information or to book a place on the course please contact Emma Healey at St John Ambulance Devon by ringing 01392 822646 or email Emma.healey@devon.sja.org.uk

The Devon Carer Support Programme is supported by: