In An Emergency

 

One of the most stressful things about the role of ‘carer’ is the unknown. You never know what’s round the corner. This of course applies to everyone, not just carers, but when you are looking after someone with a degenerative health condition, the risks of unexpected crisis are much greater.

Crises which involve falls, hallucinations, problems with medication or paramedic intervention are always stressful. The stress cannot be avoided. But over the years I have learned to mitigate the stress to a certain extent. This is my learning so far…

1.        I don’t let the fear of a crisis stop me from leading an interesting life. If a crisis happens, I just have to deal with it.

2.       I try to keep the pace of my life manageable. I build in gaps between activities to give me time to deal with the unexpected.

3.      .If I am booked to do something really important, I have an emergency plan in place eg a helper on call, or someone who can substitute for me.   

4.       I’ve built up a list of paid carers, family and friends who could be called in an emergency. I keep a note of their contact details.

5.     . I have funds for taxis and snacks and a supply of emergency food.

6.      I try to ensure I always have several weeks of medication in hand.   

7.       I keep my phone fully charged, and a battery pack.

8.       I try and stay up to date with washing, so there are always clean clothes and bedding available. I have a supply of old towels, blankets and pillows .

9.       I make sure someone trustworthy living near has a door key to our home.

10   I have insured an extra person to drive my car and keep it charged up.

 If     If things go wrong, I pause and take a deep breath. Panic helps no-one.

 I t    I try not to beat myself up if things go wrong. These things happen.