Caring though can be a tough job. We especially appreciate and honour the care that family members and loved ones give all year round to the people we serve. It may seem obvious that you would care for a loved one who is vulnerable without question. But we never forget how difficult it can be for family and friends in sometimes unexpected ways.
I was talking to a mum recently at one of our recent seasonal events. Joining in the fun with her son she said how delighted she was to be there for herself. I asked why? She explained that with his recent move to live independently, enabled by ubu, a massive ‘hole’ had been left in her own life.
“I love his new independence and that he has found his own life, he is a changed man. The worry and concerns I had about him living in his own home have been put to rest,” she said.
“But before my son came to ubu, I spent so much time focussing on him and almost none on building a life for myself. My friends used to comment on my commitment, but deep down, because I spent all this time with him, I felt incredibly lonely.”
Many family members and carers of the people we serve echo this lady’s experience and have similar stories to tell. Many of them have selflessly given over their lives to the care and support of their own loved ones. ubu finds immense value in their experiences and we offer support and encouragement to family and loved ones with our regular ‘Significant Friends’ meetings, which are held in each of the areas we work in. These meetings are an opportunity to share experiences and wisdom with each other and to find even better ways to enable the people we serve achieve their goals.
ubu is very proud of the people who make up our caring and enabling teams. They each have an amazing range of skills, contribute their experience, and demonstrate their compassion in everything they do. We know that it is vital to support and acknowledgement them for the work they do in supporting the people we serve to achieve their dreams of greater independence. ubu is committed to making sure that our enablers are fully supported, encouraged and trained to fulfil their roles, ensuring that the people we serve are always at the centre of everything we do.
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