"The help we received from Carers First has made a serious difference to us as a family.”
Penny*, 40, is a parent carer who looks after her son Nathan*, aged 13, who has learning difficulties and autism; relying on Penny for round the clock care. When Penny needed support, she contacted Carers First and she says this has made a “serious difference” to her caring role, and to her family.
Nathan is very hyperactive and has no sense of danger, so Penny needs to keep a constant eye on him. He needs support with washing and dressing, eating, medication, emotional support and reassurance, particularly at night.
With Penny caring for Nathan, and her husband working nights, they were struggling to have quality time as a couple and buy the things they needed. Penny felt isolated, could not connect with loved ones in Bulgaria after their laptop broke down and struggled with English, as its not her first language.
Penny’s Carer Support Adviser spoke to her about her support needs. Nathan attends a mainstream school with one-to-one support as part of his Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) and, since working with us, he now receives funded short breaks with a support worker from Resources for Autism, who provides companionship and helps him with his homework. This helps him to have fun and concentrate on his school work, whilst also providing some respite time for Penny.
Penny says “My husband works long, unsociable hours and I’m always supporting my son with his care.
I’m often physically exhausted – I might need to get up with Nathan several times in the night as well as caring for him throughout the day. The school holidays are particularly hard.”
I cope with things how any parent would who has a child with autism. We can’t go out much and money is always a struggle with only one wage coming in and having high living costs. Talking about our feelings and asking for help is not always an easy thing to do, but asking for help has made all the difference to us.”
"The support from Carers First has been fantastic. Our support worker Valerie has helped us with a grant to purchase a laptop, which has been essential for us. It helps us to stay connected with family in Bulgaria, access online services and support, shop online, and allows Nathan to do his homework. The benefits of this are huge.
Carers First has also assisted us with short breaks for Nathan which have made it possible for us to have some quality time as a couple which we don’t often get. The support we have received has made a serious difference to us as a family."
Penny and her husband attend the online Parent Carer Forum where they first found out about Carers First and attend the forum to connect with other parent carers, sharing tips and experiences.
*Names have been changed to protect privacy.
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.