Carer
Support Service (Moray) CARING COUNTS Autumn 2023
Help at hand
The Cost of Living crisis is leaving many unpaid carers facing unprecedented financial difficulty Caring already demands additional costs, but research provided by the 'Carers Under Pressure: Caring and the cost of living crisis' briefing published in March 2022, discovered many were already having to dip into savings, use credit cards and cut back on essential purchases just to keep everyone safe and warm.
Our own research in Moray carried out end of 2022 discovered that 59% of our carers fear they won’t be able to pay fuel bills, 36% to afford food and 45% worry they won’t be able to run their car. In an effort to address the issue, a small amount of funding to support unpaid carers hardest hit by the current cost of living has been secured by the service to provide Help at Hand.
WHAT'S COVERED?
Utilities like gas, electricity
Home heating fuel like wood, oil
Rent or mortgage payments
Food
Other daily living expenses
WHO'S IT FOR?
This funding is for those hardest hit by the Cost of Living Crisis who are struggling to make ends meet.
Motor vehicle costs like insurance, MOT Replacing broken necessary household goods like a washing machine that you can't do without Transport costs for getting to appointments or hospital
THIS FUNDING IS NOT FOR UPGRADING HOUSEHOLD EQUIPMENT OR TAKING A BREAK
HOW TO APPLY
MY GAS AND ELECTRIC ARE IN ARREARS. I'M WORRIED THAT I AM GONG TO BE CUT OFF. I HAVE A PAYMENT PLAN BUT I'M STRUGGLING TO MEET IT.
Call the office on 01343 556031 or email carersmoray@quarriers.org.uk and ask to make an application
A Family Wellbeing Worker will be in touch to arrange a suitable date to complete an application form with you.
Once submitted, your application will be assessed and processed.
Successful applicants will receive payment vouchers or Quarriers will pay invoices/bills direct. Only as a last resort will payment be made direct to the carer.
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Other funding sources
Below you'll find links to a variety of funding sources that could help you investigate where and how you might be able to access additional funding to support you in times of need.
01 Turn2Us Grants + benefits search tool to match you with any funding you may be eligible for www.turn2us.org.uk 02 Family Fund Grants for families raising a disabled or seriously ill child or young people on a low income across the UK www.familyfund.org.uk 03 Disability Grants Your guide to grants for the disabled www.disability-grants.org 04 Scottish Welfare Fund Support for vulnerable people in crisis via Moray Council 01343 563456 revenues@moray.gov.uk 05 Carers Trust Grant Funding to enable the purchase of equipment, activities to help carers in their role, or alleviate the stress of it 01343 556031 06 Income Maximisation For
in Moray
benefit income. 0300 123 4563
anyone
of working age who'd like help to ensure they're maximising their
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Taking a break
TIME TO LIVE
Open to all unpaid carers in Moray regardless of their age Maximum of 2 applications per household/family
In order to ensure funding goes to those who need it most, priority is being given to those carers who've NEVER had a break.
Carers not in that position will be given an opportunity later in the year to make an application
Funding WILL NOT be awarded for breaks already taken or paid for in part or full.
Breaks/purchases MUST be completed + evaluated by MON 25 March 2024 latest. Failure to provide feedback for reporting purposes may affect future applications
Request an application from 01343 556031 or carersmoray@quarriers.org.uk
RESPITALITY
Fancy free entry to the Highland Wildlife Park for the day with the family (3 kids/2 adults) or perhaps a Bubbly Afternoon Tea at Gordon Castle?
We have very kindly been donated vouchers which we'd like to make available to those carers who perhaps wouldn't be able to afford such an outing normally, or who are in desperate need of some down time
If you're interested, let us know
I N V E S T I N G I N T H E B E N E F I T S O F 3
A little bit of self-care
SIMPLE TECHNIQUES TO HELP YOU DE-STRESS
5 4 3 2 1 TECHNIQUE
Acknowledge:
FIVE things you see around you
FOUR things you can touch
THREE things you hear
TWO things you can smell
ONE thing you can taste
This is a useful exercise you can do anywhere. It distracts your mind and takes attention away from your stress and anxiety and grounds you back in the present moment.
555 BREATHING
INHALE slowly through your nose for 5 seconds.
HOLD for 5 seconds. You will feel a tightness in your chest.
EXHALE through your mouth for 5 seconds. Feel the tension release from your chest as you exhale.
Repeat the breathing technique 4 times. 15 seconds per set, 1 minute in total. If you feel you want to do more, that's fine.
3 GOOD THINGS
Focus your mind on 3 good things from the day. There's no right or wrong, it's your choice. For example:
It was a beautiful sunny day today. I smelled the most gorgeous rose. Mum didn't argue with me today. An appointment got cancelled so I can now meet a friend...
Do this for a couple of weeks. Without even realising it, your mind will begin to focus on seeing the good rather than the bad in life. That simple little change of mindset can make a hugely positive difference to getting through a day.
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A window into their world
Earlier this year, 22 carers attended the Autism Reality Experience (ARE) and 18 experienced the Virtual Dementia Tour (VDT).
Delivered by Training2Care on behalf of the service, and combining classroom discussion with practical experience in a mobile unit, ARE provided innovative, immersive and hands on training developed to give an experience of the sensory processing difficulties faced by people on the autism spectrum.
The VDT provided access to a worldwide, scientifically and medically proven method of giving a person with a healthy brain an experience of what dementia might be like. It allowed them to enter the world of the person they care for and understand simple changes to both practice and environment that really improve the life of the person with dementia.
“This was absolutely fantastic. Now that I have this perspective on dementia it has already changed my practice. I now think about the challenges that the person is feeling as an individual and use what I learned to try and plan care for them better.”
Caring for someone can be difficult at the best of times, and both these conditions can make daily life especially hard. By providing a window into these other worlds, these free learning opportunities have made life that little bit easier for some of the unpaid carers in Moray.
“I have gained greater understanding of what it is like to be on the spectrum and how strategies a person may have developed to cope with situations may appear to be signs of being difficult or unfriendly or uncaring to other people.”
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“This has made me more sympathetic. I will ensure that I give my person time, support and guidance as required.”
Looking for information?
Being able to access information is an important part of being a carer. There are lots of ways to get hold of what you require. Google and other search engines on the internet can be great for finding information quickly and easily. You type what you're looking for in the search bar and up pops a list of options for you to look at. However, sometimes that's a problem. There is so much information out there it can be very confusing working out what is relevant and what is not, what applies to the UK and Scotland and what does not.
In an effort to make life a little easier for you, we have a produced a range of factsheets available in hard copy or via our website at: www.quarriers.org.uk/morayvcc that cover topics we think are relevant.
Topics available at the moment include:
Making Contact
What to Expect After Contacting
the Service
Adult Carer Support Plan
Coping with the Ups and Downs
Community Care
Coping with Falls
The Law and Carers
Power of Attorney
Guardianship
Advance Directive
Sample Advance Directive
Advance Statement
When Someone Dies
Emergency Texts
Getting started with Zoom
We're also in the process of creating a range of information booklets to complement the factsheets. They look at the topics that need a little more explanation than a simple factsheet gives and currently include:
Basic Emergency First Aid
Finding Better Balance
Keeping Your Back Healthy
If you would like one please look on our website, contact the office or ask your Family Wellbeing Worker for a copy.
If you have any suggestions for topics let us know.
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Moving and handling Sept 2023 26 10:00 12:00 01343 556031 carersmoray@quarriers.org.uk 03 2023 Oct 13:00 15:00 7
Remove stigma and fear and gain confidence in approaching a person in distress 01343 556031 carersmoray@quarriers org uk REGISTER NOW attitudes to mental health issues equalities the recovery message the impact of alcohol and drugs on mental health introduction to suicide intervention listening skills understanding depression how to offer first aid to someone experiencing depression understanding anxiety how to offer first aid to someone experiencing anxiety understanding psychosis how to offer first aid to someone experiencing a psychotic episode Wednesdays Sept 6+13+20+27 10am - 1pm, Elgin
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SCOTLAND'S
Mental health first aid
Carers' rights
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Don't forget to join us!
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Quarriers is a registered Scottish Charity No SCO01960 www.quarriers.org.uk/morayvcc Quarriers Carer Support Service (Moray) 44 High Street Elgin, IV30 1BU Phone: 01343 556031 Email: carersmoray@quarriers.org.uk