The information packs are a good idea, a few years back I did a research project about information for the disabled, the conclusion was that an info pack was ideal. What came out of the project was that the info supplied to many at that time wasn't up to date. When disabled people started to tell me they had no real info but providers said they sent out lots of leaflets, i asked them to send me a pack of what they sent out. The results were interesting, I looked at the publication dates on the backs, most were out of date, some were very many years out of date, no-one had thought to check their leaflet stock.
I was also involved in marketing services for carers, the course content was "we've got funding, what can we find for them to do?" Serious amounts of info was sent out, i sent to GP, libraries, nhs facilities, anywhere carers might visit. A large launch event where a lot of carers ate a huge amount of free sandwiches At the end of the day, after several thousand leaflets/info packs went out, there was one applicant. I did a follow up and found out that GP surgeries have huge amounts of info arriving every day and most just goes in the bin, some GPs gave the leaflets to carers as they visited, the carers weren't impressed. The general message was that the contents wasn't of any interest, it was prescribed, the whole excercise must have cost a fortune and none of the funding 'for carers' was of any use to them - apart from the sandwiches
Since that time I have moved to the other side of the fence, our GP surgery nurse seemed to have the job of pushing Caring With Confidence courses, i had no interest whatsoever in it, if someone had offered me a a free course for something which did not have anything to do with being a carer I would have jumped at it. Every time I set foot in the surgery, there she was rushing up to me grasping a leaflet, I was being advertised as 'a carer', thoughts of The Prisoner went through my mind - I am a name not a number. It felt like one of those little annoying dogs which try to do 'things' to your leg , the audience found it amusing I didn't. I eventualy crept into reception, whispered what I wanted, if she saw me I ran
If I had my choice of what I want it would be an info pack with real info of practical use, placed somewhere where i can ask about it. I would like that pack to contain a book list to give me the chance of further reading, I would want a list of where I can obtain things in an emergency (like jumbo sized continence pads, try dealing with a poo-ing dementia person and trying to locate supplies not stocked in Boots). I would not want the text to be patronising, i bin anything which suggests that I should look after myself by going to the hairdressers or out for a meal - CA is less than £60/week. I also bin things which tell me that if I ask neighbours and relatives that i need help they will immediately rally round, they don't If there is anywhere which is dementia friendly or gives discounts i would love a leaflet with that info, dementia friendly shops which stock clothes that are generous sized (think continence pads) but are still wearable.
While these things are not dementia specific they are all of vital importance, dementia takes over a family's life, adjustment is Hell, that adjustment is as important as the illness if any semblance of a life is to be maintained.
I tend to look for info in sainsbury's, tesco etc, also waiting to pick up prescriptions in pharmacies. I have no connection with anything else, no time, as a 24/7 carer I leave the house only a couple of hours a week to go to the supermarket, we don't have SW or contact with any other organisation, I wouldn't see your leaflets. I suspect that I am not alone in this. The internet is pretty much my only contact with the outside world.
I was also involved in marketing services for carers, the course content was "we've got funding, what can we find for them to do?" Serious amounts of info was sent out, i sent to GP, libraries, nhs facilities, anywhere carers might visit. A large launch event where a lot of carers ate a huge amount of free sandwiches At the end of the day, after several thousand leaflets/info packs went out, there was one applicant. I did a follow up and found out that GP surgeries have huge amounts of info arriving every day and most just goes in the bin, some GPs gave the leaflets to carers as they visited, the carers weren't impressed. The general message was that the contents wasn't of any interest, it was prescribed, the whole excercise must have cost a fortune and none of the funding 'for carers' was of any use to them - apart from the sandwiches
Since that time I have moved to the other side of the fence, our GP surgery nurse seemed to have the job of pushing Caring With Confidence courses, i had no interest whatsoever in it, if someone had offered me a a free course for something which did not have anything to do with being a carer I would have jumped at it. Every time I set foot in the surgery, there she was rushing up to me grasping a leaflet, I was being advertised as 'a carer', thoughts of The Prisoner went through my mind - I am a name not a number. It felt like one of those little annoying dogs which try to do 'things' to your leg , the audience found it amusing I didn't. I eventualy crept into reception, whispered what I wanted, if she saw me I ran
If I had my choice of what I want it would be an info pack with real info of practical use, placed somewhere where i can ask about it. I would like that pack to contain a book list to give me the chance of further reading, I would want a list of where I can obtain things in an emergency (like jumbo sized continence pads, try dealing with a poo-ing dementia person and trying to locate supplies not stocked in Boots). I would not want the text to be patronising, i bin anything which suggests that I should look after myself by going to the hairdressers or out for a meal - CA is less than £60/week. I also bin things which tell me that if I ask neighbours and relatives that i need help they will immediately rally round, they don't If there is anywhere which is dementia friendly or gives discounts i would love a leaflet with that info, dementia friendly shops which stock clothes that are generous sized (think continence pads) but are still wearable.
While these things are not dementia specific they are all of vital importance, dementia takes over a family's life, adjustment is Hell, that adjustment is as important as the illness if any semblance of a life is to be maintained.
I tend to look for info in sainsbury's, tesco etc, also waiting to pick up prescriptions in pharmacies. I have no connection with anything else, no time, as a 24/7 carer I leave the house only a couple of hours a week to go to the supermarket, we don't have SW or contact with any other organisation, I wouldn't see your leaflets. I suspect that I am not alone in this. The internet is pretty much my only contact with the outside world.