Charities

Background: People living with dementia account for a large proportion of deaths due to COVID-19. Family carers are faced with making significant and emotive decisions during the pandemic, including decisions about end of life. Objectives: We aimed to explore the challenges faced by family carers of people living with dementia during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in England, as reported by charity telephone support line staff, who were able to objectively discuss a range of different experiences of many different carers who call the helpline.

The article discusses the call of six leading charities for teaching professionals to take note of the huge number of young carers and young adult carers who are providing practical and emotional support to their sick or disabled family members and show how they are building carer-friendly communities. The charities, during Carers Week 2015, highlighted the lack of identification of young carers and young adult carers which leaves them without support.

James Feeney, Dawn John and Christina Maciejewski describe the work of the Alzheimer’s Society Cardiff Carers’ Bus

The film aims to raise awareness of how society treats older people,  as well as raising funds for a cancer care charity Macmillan nurses, and Help the Aged. The film takes a journey through a day in the life and a life in the day of stroke victim Elsie, played by actress Virginia McKenna. Elsie craves compassion and understanding of the person she is on the inside rather than the useless ‘carcass’ she may appear on the outside. Elsie makes a heartfelt but silent plea for her carers to ‘Look closer…see…me…’

The author discusses activities of a social inclusion team working at George Spencer Academy, which specializes in aiding the learning of young carers. He cites a research by BBC, which suggests that schools should identify the support needs of such vulnerable group of students by looking out for particular factors signifying that the student is a young carer. Among various facilities, the policy also offers individualized support, staff training, and reasonable allowances.

Caring with Confidence fund to be transferred to training and support projects. [Journal abstract]

The article reports that nine-year old Chelsea Nye got a free cookery lesson from Ashley Palmer Watts, head chef of the Fat Duck restaurant in London, England. It notes that the chef was so impressed by a cookbook made by young carers at charity Jigsaw4u that he offered them the chance to hone their skills. It cites that Watts and the children cooked a three-course meal at the event in Mitcham, Surrey, England, organised by the charity.

The article discusses the national award scheme called "Young Carers in Schools" programme launched by the Carers' Trust and Children's Society charities in October 2015 to help schools support students with caring responsibilities.