When caring role ends
For many carers, the time when your life changes and you are no longer a carer can be the most difficult.
If the person you’ve been caring for has recovered from illness and no longer needs your care, you may be thinking about:
- taking time for yourself
- building up new networks and skills, returning to learning or work or meeting new people
- dealing with concerns about the health problem recurring
If the person you are looking after has moved elsewhere, for example, into residential care, you may feel that you are no longer a carer. But you may well be a carer in a different way. You may be facing issues such as:
- coping with being alone
- practically and emotionally keeping in touch with the person cared for
- negotiating with those supporting the person cared for
- feelings of guilt
- feelings of sadness and loss
If the person you are looking after has died, you may be facing:
- feelings of sadness and loss
- Financial problems caused by factors such as funeral costs and having to deal with benefits.
- huge changes in your life
- feelings of guilt
- lack of confidence/isolation. You may have lost contact with friends or social activities because of your caring role or you may have done a lot of things with the person you looked after
Recommended reading:
Past Caring. The Beginning Not the End, Audrey Jenkinson (Polperro Herring Press, 2004) £8.95
Local support
- Cruse Bereavement Care: Support for the bereaved, including counselling. Oxford and Bicester 01865 245398; Banbury 01295 266350
- See Saw: grief support for children in Oxfordshire 01865 744768
- Oxfordshire carers' centres information on all kinds of groups and activities, help to sort out benefits and money worries and someone to talk to.
- Oxfordshire Carers’ Forum: voluntary organisation made up of carers and ex-carers. 01993 706543
National organisations
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