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| Published: 9th June 2010 |
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| INVITES CARERS TO CELEBRATE NATIONAL CARERS WEEK AT THEIR TEA PARTY! |
| The Hospice of St Francis is inviting local carers to come and ”Put your feet up at St Francis” to celebrate National Carers Week (14-18th June). The Garden Tea Party is taking place in the beautiful grounds of the Hospice of St Francis located just off Shooters Way in Berkhamsted on Friday 18th June between 2-5pm. |
| Carers Week highlights the vital work done by those who provide unpaid care for someone who is ill, frail or disabled. Along with many other events taking place across the UK, The Hospice of St Francis’ ”Put your feet up at St Francis” Garden Tea Party will help to support this hidden army of carers by offering pampering, relaxation and a cream tea! There will also be some retail therapy opportunities and entertainment by a jazz band. The Hospice is inviting local carers to come along, either alone or with the person they care for and enjoy an afternoon out! |
The Hospice of St Francis not only provides vital care for patients with life limiting illnesses but also offers support to carers through its Home Volunteers team. These 15 highly trained Home Volunteers support carers in the hospice’s catchment area.* Home Volunteers sit with a person so their carer can take some valuable time out to visit the hairdresser or simply have a rest. Home Volunteers are also befrienders and enjoy playing cards, reminiscing or even reading with the person they are spending time with. Last year the Home Volunteers undertook 117 visits amounting to a total of 229 hours.
The Hospice also operates an active Carer Group which meets once a month. During this time a Home Volunteer can stay with a patient so that their carer can take some valuable time out to find support and useful information. Several carers have reported a significant reduction in their stress levels, enabling them to continue their caring role rather than seek alternative arrangements for their patients. |
As part of National Carers Week and putting on this special tea party event to celebrate carers, the Hospice of St Francis is also launching a recruitment drive to recruit 20 more Home Volunteers to expand this much-needed and valuable service.
Polly Traxler, Senior Social Worker at the Hospice of St Francis said: ”Many carers experience a lack of understanding about what they do – some don’t even recognise themselves as carers. This can have an impact on their health, finances, working and social life, and general wellbeing. Our Garden Tea Party is one of many activities and services that the Hospice of St Francis provides to support carers and make their lives as easy as possible.”
Carer Lesley Rogers from Abbots Langley commented: ”My son, Geoffrey, helps me to care for Tony. It’s like normal life now being a carer - you don’t realise you’re doing it except that I need twice as much energy now that I’m looking after Tony and myself. The specialist nurse, Fay, and the Home Volunteers, Carol and Barry, are marvellous. I would feel devastated if this back up wasn’t there. There would be no life line.”
This year’s National Carers Week is supported by the actor Sir David Jason, who cared for his girlfriend before her death from breast cancer. Sir David said: ”Having been a carer myself, I am all too aware of the huge burden on those who are looking after a loved one and the daily struggles they face. Carers really are the unsung heroes of our society and all too often they struggle to get the recognition they deserve. I’m proud to be part of Carers Week and lend my voice to the call for more support and services for carers.”
Other celebrities supporting this campaign, all of whom have had experience of caring, include: Sir Geoff Hurst, Fiona Phillips, Jonathan Dimbleby and Arlene Phillips.
Carers Week is a partnership of 10 national charities: Carers UK, Counsel and Care, Crossroads Caring for Carers, Help the Hospices, Macmillan Cancer Support, MS Society, Parkinson’s Disease Society, The Princess Royal Trust for Carers, Vitalise and WRVS.
For more information and to register interest in The Hospice of St Francis’ Garden Tea Party call the Hospice of St Francis on Tel 01442 869550 and ask for Polly Traxler. |
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