Blog Post

Supporting volunteer or family carers

Fiona Staunton • Jan 20, 2020

List 5 things that make you happy - try to do one each day

'Never give from the depths of your well, but from your overflow” Rumi

Providing caregiving comes with many challenges and self care for the caregiver is so important. As professional care givers, there is training and support in the form of Self care for carers established by Karen Brennan. You may find useful resources there but what I want to delve into is how to support volunteer or family carers. This is a topic close to my heart lately and I have spoken to many people who are now carers for loved ones at home to put this piece together.

A carer gives up a huge amount of their time and freedom to look after another but who looks after the carer? I recently spoke to one lady who reached burnout two months after her mother had an operation as she was already looking after a young family and working and just did not have the capacity to manage the extra responsibility that came her way.  Here are some areas to look at.

  • NOURISH: I love helping people solve problems, particularly around food so when a friend has a new baby, is ill or has a bereavement I usually gift them a meal or two. I like to think of it as something of value to them and something I am able to offer but also nourishes them through tough times. Food is fuel and when going through tough times it is often the first thing to fall by the wayside. You will find lots of recipes on my website that are easy to make, taste great and are nourishing. Lamb tagine is probably one of the most popular I gift as above. A business that has grown out of this need is Kayla's Kitchen. It was set up by Emmett and Paula whose daughter Kayla was diagnosed with a rare condition. Spending a lot of time in hospitals and balancing work and looking after a young family they found they did not have the time to cook nutritious meals on a daily basis. So if you would like meals cooked, frozen and delivered then check out. Kayla's Kitchen

Comforting Irish stew
  • HEADSPACE: I have learnt that it is so important that the carer looks after their own mental health. This can be different for everyone, it might be a trip to the gym, a round of golf, some time meditating or simply sitting down for a cuppa . The best advice I have seen is to list 5 things that make you happy and try to do one each day , this may be a walk in your favourite place, a meal in a restaurant you like, watching a movie, a long hot bath, coffee and cake in a nice environment, a round of golf, a run in the park, it is different for everyone.

  • TALKING: it is important to have support for the carer, who can they talk to about how they are feeling or managing the situation. Sometimes that can be a friend who just listens, a small change in the patient's world, positive or negative, can mean a big thing for them so sharing or talking about this can help, be a good friend and just listen.


  • RESEARCH: Check out the research that is in this area, below is a snippet from an article in The Irish Independent
The De-Stress study, which was carried out last year by researchers at Trinity and funded by the Health Research Board and The Alzheimer Society of Ireland, revealed that depression and anxiety were common among family carers.

Other research, conducted by the Royal College of Psychiatry and the Carers Association - now Family Carers Ireland - showed higher levels of depression and anxiety among carers than their peers who are non-carers.

More than 50pc of carers surveyed had a significant mental health problem in this 2009 report. It also showed that women who spend nine hours or more caring per week double their risk of heart disease, while elderly carers, aged 66-96, who experience care-related stress, have a 63pc higher mortality rate than non-carers.


  • SUPPORT: Ask for help, set up a family Whats App to share the load, seek outside help Family Carers Ireland is one such place. If there is a new mum then you can get Doula support to support mum and family. If you need physiotherapy or the patient needs physiotherapy but are unable to travel then Physio2u is a great service, they offer physiotherapy in the home or workplace, I have used Helen several times with great results. If you need reliable childminders then Suresitter is a service connecting parents with trusted, local babysitters. If you live in Dun laoghaire/Rathdown area the Care and Repair Scheme is a fantastic free service, available to those over 65 who need odd jobs done. A good nights sleep is essential for all, Care to comfort sell and rent adjustable beds.


  • PREPARE: Set a schedule and plan time for the patient, time for yourself, the carer, work and family and stick to it. Have nourishing snacks in your bag or car for when you get caught out, power bars and toasted seeds are both great options. Full of goodness and natural ingredients.


Whether you are a partner caring for your life partner, a son or daughter caring for your parent or a parent caring for your child I hope you have gained some something from this article. If you are a friend who is supporting a carer you might want to share this with them.

In Summary - ask for help, acknowledge emotions, learn about supports and link into them , stay connected, have routine & eat well.


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