Gaining a better understanding of what it's like to live with a brain injury can help you support someone with the condition to live well. Learn more about identity, changes in behaviour, and the practical impact of the brain injury on the individual as well as you as a carer.
Carers First is offering Young Adult Carers aged 18 – 25 who are caring for someone with a brain injury or condition, the opportunity to attend our Competent Carers course.
Understanding what it’s like to live with a brain injury
Caring for someone with brain injury can be a tough but rewarding experience. To help young adult carers feel more prepared to care for someone with a brain injury or condition, Carers First is offering the ‘Competent Carers Course to help caring for someone with brain injury easier to manage and understand the importance of self-care.
One of the vital first steps when caring for someone with a brain injury is to learn more about their specific condition. Because no two people are exactly alike, no two brain injuries will be identical either. This means that the person you care for’s experience will be unique, and they will not necessarily have the same secondary effects as someone else with a brain injury.
Covering the importance of self-care from a family perspective, and improving communication, this interesting and insightful course will help you to learn and understand about the structure of the brain, how our information is processed and the cognitive reasoning behind why we do things the way that we do. Participants will also learn what happens when injury or illness affect the brain and what this means for daily life; understanding the impact of fatigue and pain and why planning and structure is important.
Personality changes in our loved ones following a brain injury or condition can be difficult to manage and identify how it is affecting you.
The Competent Carers course explores why and how it happens and how to manage neuro conditions and prevent burn-out, by learning about new coping strategies and aids and adaptations that increase independence which can reduce dependence on you as a carer.
The importance of looking after you, too.
As well as supporting you to gain a more in-depth understanding of the condition of the person you’re caring for, the Competent Carers course also helps you to understand the importance of recognising your feelings and focusing on self-care.
You may be feeling torn between staying home or going to school or college. You may have difficulty concentrating and start to fall behind with your studies. You might find it hard to talk about your family member’s illness, especially if the person you’re talking to isn’t fully aware of the situation.
You may be full of questions; whether you should let your school or college know, whether you should go home to work on your coursework, whether you should talk about it to your friends.
You may be feeling guilty because you’re enjoying college, work or spending time with friends while the person you care for is suffering. Or because you’re not calling often enough – or calling too often. Maybe because you’re out spending money while your dad is unwell at home. Or because you’re away while your sister has to care for your mum.
You may be fearful of what might happen, or if things get worse; annoyed that this is happening, or jealous because your friends and peers seem to be having so much fun, with so little to worry about. You may also feel lonely because you don’t know anyone else who is going through what you’re going through or feel that no-one else will really understand.
It is natural when caring for someone, to feel stressed, especially when you are trying to juggle your caring role, school or college, work and time with your friends and peers. What is important to remember is that these feelings you’re having are normal and all of them are okay. By helping you to meet others in a similar situation, this course can support you to feel less alone, experiment useful steps to work towards a better balance, between caring, time for you, your friends, hobbies and interests and better understand the condition of the person you’re caring for to enable you to care more competently both for yourself and the person you are caring for.
To register your interest and let us know of the times which would suit you, please complete our short form by clicking the button below. Course dates and times are yet to be confirmed.
Online Help and Advice
Visit our online support section where we have provided advice and guidance on a range of relevant topics to help you in your caring role.