Carol's story
Carol cares for her husband 24/7. Unable to leave him very often, she shares how she has found solace in trying something new.
Even when there isn’t a national lockdown to consider, Carol often spends her days indoors. Carol’s husband suffers with Alzheimer’s disease. She can find it hard to leave him on his own, as he could leave the house and become lost. She looks after him around the clock, prioritising his health and safety.
“We’re together 24/7 and that works best.”
When the opportunity to take part in the pilot for a phone café came up, she “took a leap of faith” to try something new. Carol felt nervous at first and was unsure she even qualified to access the service.
“I felt is this really the right place to be? Do I qualify as a carer?”
Many people that care for loved ones find it hard to identify as a ‘carer’. Sometimes they feel the term doesn’t reflect the relationship they have with their family member, and that it can suggest a service that you pay for. Though it may not be a term we like to embrace, it can be key to accessing various types of support.
Carol overcame her nerves and shares how glad she was.
She enjoys speaking with others that are in a similar position and who understand. Carol told us that she often uses video calling to speak with friends and family that live far away but prefers using a phone with others that she doesn’t know.