by hvml » 13 Oct 2015, 07:41
Good morning all. What a lovely, crisp Autumn morning. My name is heid and I am primary carer for my dad, who has vascular dementia and disability following a stroke. In 2012, when his living alone became impossible, I gave up my job in London and, with my partner's support, moved to Cornwall to be a full time carer. My brother and sister in law also moved in around the same time. Since then, I have been up to London to our flat to see my partner once a month and the rest of the time am fulfilling my caring duties. I have recently insisted on having a week off every 3 months, which has so far happened once and is scheduled again in November. My brother and his partner both work, so Dad and I are on our own 5 days a week. I have bipolar disorder, so have to try and protect myself somewhat. The main ways I do this are ensuring as good a night's sleep as possible and medication. I found this Forum recently and thought how nice it would be to chat to some people in similar situations. We live in a small village and I don't drive, so the only time we go out is for hospital appointments. I look forward to seeing what might ensue....all the best [SMILING FACE WITH SMILING EYES]