These are challenging times for most people, & I think very much so for Carers who are often overlooked or taken for granted. By Carers, I don’t mean people who are paid to provide care, I mean the many people who provide care & support for loved (& not-so loved) ones who can be family, friend & neighbours.
So fellow Carers, how are you getting on?
I am providing it nigh-on impossible to get delivery slots for online delivery – as are many people who have an official status of ‘shielded’ or highly vulnerable. It’s incredibly difficult to get through to the major supermarkets to register someone who needs a priority service. There many people who are clinically vulnerable but do not meet the understandably prioritised threshold for ‘shielded’ status, yet they are compelled to self-isolate to protect themselves.
So I am frustrated by this for me, people I care for & for other carers I know, people who a cannot get out to the usual shops & cannot get deliveries from the same shops online. It also narks me that online supermarkets still have a minimum spend per order – of course, this may be different if you have a priority status, I don’t know. So the most vulnerable in terms of health, potential outcomes & income (e.g. those on state pensions, sickness & disability benefits & low paid) are taking the brunt of supermarket supply & pricing models.
I have stripped the emergency stores bare of any treats I got in earlier, so I am full of sugar, carbs & remorse…
I am also bored. I managed to score a crochet kit for a blanket so that I have something to do with my busy mind & hands that crave grabbing biscuits.
But I did do something positive. I completed the Carers UK survey asking about the effect COVID-19 on me as a Carer. The survey asks sensible relevant questions, & you can add your own comments.
It took me about 10-15 minutes from start to finish. Anyone who is a Carer can do the survey.
CarersUK survey impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) on unpaid Carers:
www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/HC6FQ8G
The survey closes on Monday 13 April 2020.
Carers UK: Carersuk.org
Coronavirus & Carers: www.carersuk.org/help-and-advice/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-covid-19
Carers UK advice & helpline: www.carersuk.org/help-and-advice/talk-to-us
Telephone 0808 808 7777 (now Monday – Friday, 9am to 5pm)
The Carers UK website has helpful information available online for everyone & I find connecting with other carers on the forum helps to keep me going. I have been a member for some time & it is free to join. Please pass this on to any family, friends & neighbours who are Carers & may find it useful.