Share when a carer made all the difference to you with TrustFord - chance to win £300 NOW CLOSED

[AnnMumsnet]

The team at TrustFord would love to hear from MNers who have contact with carers (formal or informal) and to hear the stories when a carer made a really big difference to you/ your family.

TrustFord say "We know that having the right tool for the job makes all the difference, and we believe it’s the same when it comes to cars. Motability is a car scheme to get disabled people on the road and recent changes have meant that more people with mental disabilities are now able to join. Here at TrustFord our dedicated Motability Specialists in each dealership get to know you and those you care for to ensure that you drive away in a vehicle perfect for your lifestyle".

To find out more about how TrustFord can help you and your family get on the road with the Motability scheme watch this video.

So please share on this thread your story of how a carer (or carers) have helped you or your family - this could be someone caring for your child in your home, someone working with your elderly parent (or grandparent) or with someone in your family who has a disability or additional needs - we want to celebrate the difference they make to everyday life. This could include informal carers/ support volunteers etc.

Everyone who posts on the thread will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 Love2Shop voucher.

Thanks, and good luck with the prize draw!

MNHQ

NB: Wholly owned by Ford Motor Company and operating as an independent dealer group with its own board of directors and operating strategies, TrustFord is part of the Ford Retail Group which also owns and operates TrustFirstParts.
Accredited as one of the Sunday Times Top 25 Companies to work for, TrustFord operates a network of 60 dealership sites throughout the UK and Channel Islands. It employs 3,200 staff all of whom are focused on Driving the Standard in Customer Care.
On the website, you can find out more about their New and Used Cars, Motability vehicles or vans, as well as the latest Offers, Servicing options, and the latest driving advice.

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my mum is a carer for my brother who has autism! she works so hard and never gets the appreciation shes deserved of x

My mum is an unpaid carer for my sister with multiple disabilities. Not only that but she cares for my dad with a brain tumour and looks after my children (who have autism, sensory processing disorder, epilepsy) whilst I'm at work. She really is a warrior she takes it all in her stride. She has no idea how truly amazing she is what she does for her family is just amazing and we are so grateful xx

My sister died recently and her son has severe learning difficulties, my brother is an amazing carer for him, he makes life happy, and fun, and teaches him about a world of love and support where he has a great future. There result is a happy and confident person who has managed to come through this with a smile on his face

My son is non-verbal, it was only when he was with a carer one time that he finally said 'mum-me' when looking for me. A moment that wouldn't have been possible if someone else had not been able to look after him - and getting that support is hard work and so essential. xxx

My nana was recently put in a home thanks to the cares she seems full of life talking to the other people there she's getting social and when we bring her grandkids around she is over the moon the cares treat her with respect and have fun with her they make her life beautiful

When my grandma was terminally ill she moved into my mams so that we could care for her, we tried our best for months but as she deteriorated and got worse we got help from the fantastic Macmillan nurses , and they really were brilliant. We are forever grateful for their help.

I have 2 children that have medical problems. Our son is registered blind and our daughter has Turners Syndrome, because of this she has autistic tendencies. I too suffer from mental illness.

We look after each other in many ways and as a parent I have not allowed my kids to use their disabilities to say they cannot do things. They have been taught to be independent, but it does take time and adapting when out and about.

My mother in law is my nan-in-law's carer. She spends every day assisting her with day to day living, her cleaning, washing, shopping, taking her out, dealing with her financial affairs etc. She really is her rock and her life would be considerably different without her support. It is emotionally and physically hard being someone's carer though and at times my mother in law struggles with the burden.

My eldest ds has autism, once a fortnight he sees a respite carer and she will take him on a day trip, may it be to the museum, swimming, soft play, sensory room. Her name is Claire and she is my gift send from up above. My son adores her so much and counts down the days until he sees her next, she brings such positivity to his life and she is a great friend too, always been a shoulder to cry on for me. Her work with him gives me a break but also allows me the time to spend some alone time with my daughter, doing something she likes - that kind of keeps me going on the hard days. She is more than a carer to us, she's a lifeline and a friend for life x

My Nan became sick very suddenly and aside from the physical ailments, her mental state went completely off the grid. From a woman who would not utter a swear word in her life, she was calling her daughters, medical staff etc every name under the sun! She was very abusive to my Mum and she needed a lot more care than my Mum could give. Carers came in 3 times a day, to get her up and do her breakfast, feed her at lunchtime and wash her and put her to bed at night. Whilst she remained abusive and uncooperative with them, they still preserved and did their bit which meant that my Mum could have some respite from everything.

My Mum is totally great, not only does she care for my sons while I work, but she is a carer for my Dad who has early onset Alzheimers

My amazing sister in law is a carer for my mother in law, she never complains and even did heaps whilst going through chemo for breast cancer herself! We do as much as we can to help but living in a different country to them makes it rather difficult, one thing we always make sure is that Jo gets her summer holiday without having to worry what's going on with Mum, I just wish we could do more x

My daughter is a brilliant carer for me. She always seems to know when I need help and when I can manage. It's important to retain as much independence as you can, so this is a really good skill to have!

My parents and I cared for my grandad....he was such a proud man.....he didn't want social services involvement...wanted to live out his life in his home even when his body fought against it.

It wasn't easy for my parents but they did it and I did it out of love so much love.

Miss him every day glad we got to be there x

We had carers in when my mum had cancer - they were brilliant and allowed us to be family and spend quality time with her, rather than being carers ourselves. We couldn't have done without them!

The carers at my aunty's care home were absolutely amazing with her. She had learning difficulties and dementia and they were just superb. When it was her bday they organised a place for all the family to go at the care home and have a little party to celebrate.

for a while we had a carer take my autistic son out for a few hours each week. it was at a time that he wasn't able to go to school because he couldn't cope with school so i was homeschooling him and his brother and I had just had a new baby. So to get those couple of hours each week to spend with my other son and baby was such a sanity saver and i'm truly grateful for that time we had.

My mums support worker from memory lane and alzheimers was the best worker could ask for . Toke my mum different adventures and made sure she toke part in nights at her club and to be honest be a best friend when everyone else left her behind . Would not of asked for a better carer

Lynn who works for Flintshire carers was an absolute godsend when our money was stopped leaving us living off child benefit and child tax credits. She helped us fill out zero income forms for housing stopping us going into rent arears and getting our rent paid until we got sorted. Typical that it happened at the start of the school holiday and we have two boys that were supposed to go on trips with Barnardos which we had no food or drinks for, she sorted food for the week and enough for packed lunches for the boys trips and brought it to our house for us. She helped me by phoning the job Center to get them to photocopy my forms and fax them off in the end to 3 different offices because they kept getting told the wrong fax number. If it hadn't been for Lynn we would have been in a pretty pickle that week and my health would have taken a real beating because one of my conditions is Addison's Disease which means I don't/can't cope with stress without the need to take tablets or I crash. I know they get paid to help people but she is only part time and she went above and beyond that week for us.

As simple as bringing a really cold glass of water to their patient, even in winter because she always loved it.

My sons are young carers as I have crohns and a large tumour. They really see the graphic end of the action due to my bags and loosing blood.... they never complain and tell me funny stories to perk me up. I also have a stoma nurse who goes the extra mile. Nothing is too much trouble for her.

I work as a community nurse. Carers are invaluable to me. They often get to know my patients far better than I do. They may be visiting someone 4 times a day and I might only see them once a week. They can be my eyes and ears and spot issues before they become bigger problems.

We call my mum's carer our fairy godmother! She is utterly reliable, punctual, organised, adaptable, efficient and seemingly tireless. Most importantly my mum loves her but beyond that, she makes our household run more smoothly, does things before I even notice they need doing, is never grumpy and cheers us all up. All without making me feel inadequate too!

My beautiful 3 year old son has recently been diagnosed with ASD.from a young age ( 15m!) I knew something wasn't quiet right and after making an appointment with our local sure start and nursery nurse came out to see us, from the moment she walked through my door and saw exactly what I did in my son she has been my rock! She was the first person I called in march when my son was officially diagnosed and we both sobbed tears of joy! Yep! Joy!! The diagnosis means my son is lucky enough to go into school with the extra help he needs to leave education in years to come knowing he had done everything he can and become anything he wants! Thats lady comes to my house every 2 weeks and offers advise, comfort, and a listening ear, never judges, and mist important she has become a friend....if it was for that amazing angel I dont know where me and my family would be right now.....

My husband and I both have disabilities and we care for each other. Since one of us has a physical disability and the other has a mental health condition, one persons weakness is the other persons strength. We both feel like less of a burden since we help each other equally.