‘Like so many unpaid carers, Jenny had always put her husband Ralph’s needs in front of hers’ - Karen’s story
One of our advocates, Karen Neilson, has been working for VoiceAbility since 1 August 2023. Karen spoke to us about her experience working with unpaid carers in Edinburgh, and one individual in particular called Jenny.
A photo of advocate Karen Neilson
In July 2023, Jenny’s case was transferred to VoiceAbility from Edinburgh Carers Council for support. She was struggling to get respite and was assigned to Karen.
“Jenny had had no respite from her caring role for almost 7 years. She was approaching her 70th birthday and desperately wanted to go on holiday with her sister to celebrate this special occasion.”
Like so many unpaid carers, Jenny had always put her husband Ralph’s needs in front of hers.
“Following a brain injury and later illness, Ralph was now completely dependent on Jenny. He had a package of care in place. However, unfortunately, due to Ralph’s condition, there were times he would refuse the carers’ support and Jenny would be left to provide all his care needs.
“Jenny had been trying to access respite through the social work department, but had become anxious and upset with the frequent changes in social workers.”
Jenny was unsure about the contact details for her fourth social worker in less than a year. So when Karen came on board, Jenny was understandably sceptical about any support VoiceAbility could give.
“I approached my work with Jenny in a person-centred and transparent manner. I suggested we aim for her top choice of respite care, but we may need to accept somewhere in the middle. We had a lot to consider, not least that both Jenny and Ralph felt comfortable with the care home during the respite period. I worked collaboratively with the care home manager, social services, and, most importantly, Jenny.”
By taking a collaborative, open approach, I secured the first choice of care home for both Jenny and Ralph.
“I also shared with Jenny her entitlement for annual respite funding, which she had been unaware of.”
When Karen phoned Jenny to tell her the good news, she burst into tears and said:
You have moved mountains in two short weeks that others had been unable to do over months. I cannot thank you enough for this. I cannot believe it is actually going to happen. Thank you so very, very much.
“I could hear the joy in her voice,” added Karen.