Monday 30 July 2012

Carers Support.

Where do I start with this one?

As a professional carer I always felt that the recognition was never there. The skills and care of each member took for granted . Being asked what I did for a living ;at times; got the ' conversation stopper treatment',  almost a   'you get paid to do it and it is just a job, low on the rankings.' How wrong!!

I always felt very proud of what I did and would send such an attitude a silent blessing.It is a position of great privilege and a 'job' which you have to want to do. My advice to anyone thinking it is an easy option to earn a couple of pounds would be ,don't do it!

Choice is something that we all have, however there are situations in our lives which make it quite difficult to decide. Never more so than for those caring for their own loved ones 24/7 365!!

 I have had a read of the forum at carers uk and have to say how heartbreaking, yet inspiring the comments are. All carers and all supporting each other.

It has given me a deeper insight into how they must feel,cope and manage their situations. One emotion I had not given much thought to, was the guilt a person was feeling for not being able to cope with the care and keeping a young family together...courageous to write about it and phenomenal, non patronising support given from others.

Carers uk is full of wonderful tips and guidance and well worth looking at.

Its good to know its there.

www.carersuk.org/








Sunday 29 July 2012

Daily Om...is here!

I'm very excited about this and I hope you will be too. If you look to the right you will see ' Today's Daily Om'.

Each day they send a reflection or something worth thinking about. Like me , you may find that it arrives at a very important time in your life and strike a chord.

So, if it is of interest to you and you have a few minutes then please do take a look.

(I don't feel so daft writing about the butterfly I saw the other week now!)

Have fun.

Monday 23 July 2012

'Cranky Old Man' Anonymous poem

 Have come across this, and just had to share it with you all.....

When an old man died in the geriatric ward of a nursing home in an Australian country town, it was believed that he had nothing left of any value.
Later, when the nurses were going through his meager possessions, They found this poem. Its quality and content so impressed the staff that copies were made and distributed to every nurse in the hospital.

One nurse took her copy to Melbourne. The old man's sole bequest to posterity has since appeared in the Christmas editions of magazines around the country and appearing in mags for Mental Health. A slide presentation has also been made based on his simple, but eloquent, poem.

And this old man, with nothing left to give to the world, is now the author of this 'anonymous' poem winging across the Internet.

Cranky Old Man

What do you see nurses? . . .. . .What do you see?
What are you thinking .. . when you're looking at me?
A cranky old man, . . . . . .not very wise,
Uncertain of habit .. . . . . . . .. with faraway eyes?
Who dribbles his food .. . ... . . and makes no reply.
When you say in a loud voice . .'I do wish you'd try!'
Who seems not to notice . . .the things that you do.
And forever is losing . . . . . .. . . A sock or shoe?
Who, resisting or not . . . ... lets you do as you will,
With bathing and feeding . . . .The long day to fill?
Is that what you're thinking?. .Is that what you see?
Then open your eyes, nurse .you're not looking at me.
I'll tell you who I am . . . . .. As I sit here so still,
As I do at your bidding, .. . . . as I eat at your will.
I'm a small child of Ten . .with a father and mother,
Brothers and sisters .. . . .. . who love one another
A young boy of Sixteen . . . .. with wings on his feet
Dreaming that soon now . . .. . . a lover he'll meet.
A groom soon at Twenty . . . ..my heart gives a leap.
Remembering, the vows .. .. .that I promised to keep.
At Twenty-Five, now . . . . .I have young of my own.
Who need me to guide . . . And a secure happy home.
A man of Thirty . .. . . . . My young now grown fast,
Bound to each other . . .. With ties that should last.
At Forty, my young sons .. .have grown and are gone,
But my woman is beside me . . to see I don't mourn.
At Fifty, once more, .. ...Babies play 'round my knee,
Again, we know children . . . . My loved one and me.
Dark days are upon me . . . . My wife is now dead.
I look at the future ... . . . . I shudder with dread.
For my young are all rearing .. . . young of their own.
And I think of the years . . . And the love that I've known.
I'm now an old man . . . . . . .. and nature is cruel.
It's jest to make old age . . . . . . . look like a fool.
The body, it crumbles .. .. . grace and vigour, depart.
There is now a stone . . . where I once had a heart.
But inside this old carcass . A young man still dwells,
And now and again . . . . . my battered heart swells
I remember the joys . . . . .. . I remember the pain.
And I'm loving and living . . . . . . . life over again.
I think of the years, all too few . . .. gone too fast.
And accept the stark fact . . . that nothing can last.
So open your eyes, people .. . . . .. . . open and see.
Not a cranky old man .
Look closer . . . . see .. .. . .. .... . ME!!

Remember this poem when you next meet an older person who you might brush aside without looking at the young soul within. We will all, one day, be there, too!

PLEASE SHARE THIS POEM!
The best and most beautiful things of this world can't be seen or touched. They must be felt by the heart!

Saturday 21 July 2012

Psst!

Just a quickie...! You can now keep up with us on Facebook and Twitter. x


" If you knew who walked beside you at all times, on the path that you have chosen, you could never experience fear or doubt again.” Wayne W. Dyer

THANK YOU AND YOU AND YOU.....!

Time for a 'gratitude attack!'

The last couple of months have been quite amazing thanks to all of you who have had a browse and shown great interest in the Carers Coffee Pot.

Your comments have been wonderful and courageous and as the Carers Coffee Pot will always maintain anonymity, I would like to at least say thank you to the countries around the world and I'm sure you all know who you are even if I don't!!!! (I'm confusing myself here!!!!!)

So, thank you to....UK,USA, RUSSIA, UKRAINE, GERMANY, FRANCE, AUSTRIA, AUSTRALIA, INDIA, IRELAND, MALAYSIA, PHILIPPINES.
It is wonderful to think the world is full of silent angels and as I have said from the start, this is for you so thank you for being there.

Interestingly, there has been a lot of interest shown in the posts regarding abuse, stress, grief, reablement, whistleblowing....I don't know about you but I feel there is a lot more to explore here and in due course they will all be followed up.

One of the many aims of this blog is to provide support to you all. Be it in boosting morale or providing information in areas that aren't always made clear to us. It would also be beneficial to throw in a few personal coping strategies for us all too.

All of this is to come and I feel there is enough here to overflow into a website all of its own, but that's just between you and me for now.

Exciting times to come for the Carers Coffee Pot.

Once again (gratitude attack) THANK YOU AND YOU AND YOU AND YOU......!




" If you knew who walked beside you at all times, on the path that you have chosen, you could never experience fear or doubt again.” Wayne W. Dyer

Tuesday 17 July 2012

 “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”
Eleanor Roosevelt

Sunday 15 July 2012

“Isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?”
L.M. Montgomery

Thursday 12 July 2012

 “I know God won't give me anything I can't handle. I just wish he didn't trust me so much.”
Mother Teresa

St Catherine of Siena -Patron saint of carers and nurses


St. Catherine of Siena St. Catherine of Siena 


St. Catherine of Siena quotes.

“Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.”
St. Catherine of Siena

 St. Catherine of Sienna is the Patron Saint of Carers and Nurses.Dominican Tertiary born at Siena, 25 March, 1347; died at Rome, 29 April, 1380.

From early in life she avowed herself to Christ and experienced a Mystical espousal. She became a Dominican Tertiary Nun and returned to her family to tend the sick and the ill, some with horrific diseases. She suffered herself with great pain but continued with her work.

Tuesday 10 July 2012

 “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”
Maya Angelou

Monday 9 July 2012

Sunday 8 July 2012

 “Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.”
Marilyn Monroe, Marilyn
  “Be the change that you wish to see in the world.”
Mahatma Gandhi

Saturday 7 July 2012

Life Transitions~from Daily Om.

The Daily Om is in Links to Like and each day (obviously!) something very reflective comes through. I have included an excerpt for you but do please click on the link to follow.



DailyOM today@dailyom.com  

'.....we may go through one whole chapter of our lives creating a protective shell around ourselves because we need it in order to heal from some early trauma. One day, though, we may find ourselves feeling confined and restless, wanting to move outside the shelter we needed for so long; the new part of ourselves cannot be born within the confines of the shell our old self needed to survive.....'

Carers Coffee Pot - Community careworkers...sharing good days and bad days.: “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” ―...

Carers Coffee Pot - Community careworkers...sharing good days and bad days.: “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”
―...
: “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” ― Oscar Wilde
“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”
Oscar Wilde

Friday 6 July 2012


 “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”
Mother Teresa
“One's dignity may be assaulted, vandalized and cruelly mocked, but it can never be taken away unless it is surrendered.”
Michael J. Fox

ABUSE!

A sensitive area, however as carers we are told to always be on the look out for any sign of abuse within a visit. This could be physical, emotional, financial, verbal, discrimination,self harm,eating, drink,drugs, the list goes on. However, what about the carer being abused?

Sadly it does occur, and once again a situation where as a carer you find yourself making excuses for the abuser because of the situation they are in and  having to cope with it.They are probably angry, annoyed at abilities which have been reduced and basic frustration.However, they do require help and if you have been abused you require support too.

Quite simply it is not acceptable. To be cornered in a  kitchen with all sorts of utensils to hand to the abuser and no way of the service user being reasonably talked out of it, is a scary situation to be in. In this scenario, visits became a double up and as should be the case the carer was withdrawn from visiting.

The ongoing effects can run quite deep.Support, as with most things is offered by the crate load at the time because its 'all new' but what happens a couple of months down the line and you realise you would benefit from some help now?

It is out there.You are NOT alone and it is quite natural for it to take a while to come to the surface.

Should you feel you are in that situation now, please feel strong enough to get in touch with  the Carers Coffee Pot. All messages recieved are viewed personally before being published so it won't go on the blog if you don't want it too, just make sure you say so.

Alternatively, if you want a reply you can always email to carerscoffeepot@gmail.com and I can reply to you as soon as I can.

You are important to the CarersCoffee Pot, and your wellbeing is important to you.



If you have a few minutes, take a look at this article.....You really are not alone.
 http://suite101.com/article/caregiver-abuse-by-an-elderly-spouse-or-parent-a215050


Monday 2 July 2012

Affection and Calm

Beautiful words from the Dalai Lama.....




Affection and a calm mind are important to us. A calm mind is good for our physical health, but it also enables us to use our intelligence properly and to see things more realistically. Affection too is important because it counters anger, hatred and suspicion that can prevent our minds from functioning clearly.