Short Break Stories

Crossroads Caring Scotland Glasgow West &South

A story by Crossroads Caring Scotland Glasgow West & South

We provided a respite service for carers living in the Glasgow area including ethnic minority groups. The carers were allocated 37 hours of flexible respite to use at their choice. These hours were provided to carers known to the service and carers referred by local authority and other professionals who were not receiving respite via local authority.

What Crossroads Caring Scotland Glasgow West &South did

All Carers Centres in Glasgow were given information on the project including the Health Board, local authorities and day centres including ethnic minority day centres who referred the carers to us.

Each carer was then allocated their budget of 37 hours of flexible respite to use when they required. The respite would include the service user participating in social and recreational activities of their choice allowing the carer to have time to themselves. Some of the respite was home based as the service user was unable to leave their home due to their disabilities.

Carer A is a carer to her husband who is suffering from Dementia which has affected him very quickly and his wife is finding it very difficult to come to terms with his illness as he was a very active man and they spent a lot of time socialising and now she feels she is unable to leave him on his own and she is unable to get out.

With the support she received from the project it allowed her to have some time out to attend to business or socialise with friends something she had not done since her husband was diagnosed with Dementia.

Carer B had not had any respite form her caring role as her husband whom she cares for speaks Punjabi. The project was able to provide a Punjabi speaking worker to allow her to have some much needed respite at the times of her choice and her husband was very comfortable with the care attendant conversing in his own language.
The carer had been diagnosed as having a very serious illness and was in need of rest from her caring role. The project allowed her to have this time to rest in bed and the cared for was taken out by the support worker to participate in activities of his choice.

What Crossroads Caring Scotland Glasgow West & South has learned

All carers involved in the project were very grateful for the break as respite is not well funded in some cases the cared for would have to go to a day centre to allow the carer to have a break and this does not suit everyone and now this has to be paid for by the person attending depending on their income.

The fund has made a great difference to our organisation as we are able to provide free respite care. The flexibility of the respite was very well received as the carers found the benefit of have the respite as and when required rather than a particular day.

The challenge faced was trying to encourage carers from the ethnic minority groups to come forward. The carers centres have been very helpful in identifying new carers for the project.
Top tips Crossroads Caring Scotland Glasgow West & South's top tips for an organisation that wants to run a similar project
Tip 1:
Ensure that the carer is aware the they have been allocated a set amount of hours.
Tip 2:
Ensure that they are aware that this is flexible respite time and they give enough notice to Crossroads so the organisation can meet their requirements.
Tip 3:
Keep the carer informed of the hours they have used as they may not be keeping an account of the hours used

"As a family we were at breaking point...this break brought us all closer together and enabled us to have fun as a family and enjoy different surroundings. I can't thank you enough...for making this happen for us."

Service User

Short Break Stories is a site by Shared Care Scotland, a company limited by guarantee registered in Scotland SC161033.

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