Short Break Stories

Wee Break Midlothian - Time to Live

A story by VOCAL Midlothian

We provided grants directly to carers who live in Midlothian.

What Wee Break Midlothian - Time to Live did

We have had a successful year - learning from our experience of administering the fund in the past to improve the process for carers.

Paperwork:
Before a carer applies we send them a 'postcard' with a number of open ended questions to support them to think about the break that will be best for them.
After a carer has been successful we improved our communication about what was expected of them after the break - e.g. sending back receipts and evaluation forms.

Promotion:
We have uploaded the application form onto the front page of our website. We have created a short film to show the wide range of breaks available and this will be available in the case studies section of the website. This includes a garden makeover, complimentary therapy and access to a local spa.

We have spoken to a number of practitioners including Social Workers at their 'Good Practice Forum', community practitioners at their monthly meetings and built links with the Community Coordinators from the Red Cross to spread the word to local groups. We have included information in our organisation's newsletters and e-bulletins. Our Short Break's Support Worker highlights the fund to all eligible carers.

Decision Making:
We continue to have a panel on the last Wednesday of the month who decide on the awarding of funds. We have recruited a number of new faces to the panel - including a carer, a community psychiatric nurse and occasionally new members of staff from the Adult Community Care Team and students from the Dementia Service attend.

A carer cares for his wife who has a long term condition and requires 24 hour care. He applied for a course of massages as he was "overtired - to the extent that your brains no shutting down, it's going 24/7". He felt as if he "need something" as he was "going off my head actually". He felt "exhausted", stuck in "the same routine day in day out" and he needed to "chill out and recharge my batteries".

He didn't want to leave his wife for long periods of time so he used to the fund to trial having massages at his own house. He has found that these "really really helped" and he felt like "a new person, not only just getting the massages which was helping, clearing my head and I was getting a wee break". He thinks the massages "worked wonders, they took away the stress and helped me to relax. It took me away from my daily routine. I really wish this is something I had thought about a long time ago as it made me feel great."

A carer has cared for her husband for the past 8 years as he has severe spinal injuries that limit his mobility. He does not want carers coming into the house and so she spends much of her time indoors with him. "I can't take the pain away but I can care". She started a craft class but was anxious at leaving him on his own and so applied to the fund for money to purchase art materials so she could continue her hobby at home.

Crafts give her "something to do at home" "when knitting, crocheting and making cards it takes my mind off my problems" "when I am occupied like that my mind is relaxed and clear. I feel like a cloud is lifted off my shoulders." She donates the cards she makes to a local charity to help them fundraise. It is not just the making of the cards that she enjoys - she enjoyed the afternoon she spent buying the equipment - "I really really enjoyed my afternoon getting stuff I couldn't really afford to get myself, I really let my hair down, my friend came with me, I really had a ball, felt like I was free and my heart just felt like a weight had been lifted and had the best afternoon in over 10 years. I felt like I had a life, I can't thank you enough, there's no words that can say to thank you for how I felt that afternoon. I cried for joy to have this afternoon."
A carer became a carer for her husband after he was recently diagnosed with terminal cancer. She applied to the fund as she wanted to go to a spas to give her time on her own to reflect and have space to come to terms with the 'seismic shifts' that were occurring in her life and reduce her levels of stress. She purchased therapies at a spa that offered free use of all facilities with each treatment. This meant that she could be flexible and attend at times that fitted with her husband's treatment.

She describes the treatments as "tranquility, a feeling like you are getting out of something that is so intense". The fund and the support it offered were important to her as a carer in helping her cope in her caring role - "I can't express to you how important it's been to me - it has been a life line in that sense of throwing out a rubber ring and pulling me back in"

What VOCAL Midlothian has learned

The fund has continued to be a very valuable part of the support the Short Breaks Bureau offers to carers.

It is one of the main reasons carers approach the Bureau. It enables people, many of whom are new to the organisation, to approach the Bureau as it offers a concrete reason to get in touch. Once they have made contact we are able to offer a range of support including time and space to think about their caring role. The postcard that we send to all new carers with questions to think about has changed the conversations we have with carers when they come in to the centre and they are better able to discuss the break that would be best for them.

It is also one of the main reasons that professionals approach the Bureau which, as above, can lead to further support to think creatively about the best break for the carer. One professional commented that she "liked applying to the fund as you know you are allowed to be creative so it changes how you think when supporting a carer".

We allocate the fund evenly throughout the year and every month we have been oversubscribed... with the exception of the final month where we had fewer applications than expected. Next year we will look at the pattern of applications and may change the amount available depending on the time of year.
Top tips VOCAL Midlothian's top tips for an organisation that wants to run a similar project
Tip 1:
Be clear - about what people can apply for, who can apply and what people have to do once they have been successful. This will save time for everyone. It saves the carer filling out a form if they are unlikely to be successful and saves time for the organisation chasing receipts etc.
Tip 2:
Build relationships with other professionals who support carers. If they understand the ethos of the fund they are better able to support carers to think creatively about their breaks and what is possible.
Tip 3:
Keep clear records. Although it takes time when you are inputting it it makes the recording so much easier.