The old saying ‘If you want something done, ask a busy person’ holds sufficient truth to make me think it’s behind some of caregiving’s puzzles. Let’s consider this further: 1) Many people who become carers were busy even before they started caring. This busy-ness can mean they rush into...

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I laughed at this cartoon pre-lockdown because I’d be the first to admit there were some elements of truth in it for me. I knew that inviting people round on a regular basis was doubly beneficial to me – not only did I enjoy their company but it also kept me on my toes in terms of doing my...

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Making and wearing a fabric face mask? Welcome to the video of our previous blog post - 7 practical tips for what you really need to know. From considering what materials to use and how to make it a good fit, through to the safe storing and washing of your mask, we help you find out how to be...

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When you look for information about fabric face masks online, you’ll find a vast amount – but what do you really need to know? Our 7 tips quickly provide this. 1) The number of layers and type of materials used greatly affect how effective a mask is Recently published research1 shows how...

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As advisory requirements for social distancing reduce, more people may be considering wearing face masks in everyday situations. Perhaps it is a regulation to wear masks on public transport that has forced their hand or maybe they are now venturing into situations where they feel more...

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Today would have been my mum’s 93rd birthday, and it has triggered in me a range of emotions because it’s the first anniversary of her birth since she passed away in February. In 1994 Mum suffered a devastating stroke that paralysed most of her right-hand side and robbed her of speech. In the...

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The people at the heart of Carers Week deserve to be celebrated every week! They are the people who, unpaid, look after a family member or friend who because of disability, illness or frailty couldn’t manage otherwise. Often though, these carers are overlooked and disappear from view. As this...

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After months of self-isolating, as lockdown lifts in some parts of the world, the prospect of meeting up with friends again is exciting! As we widen our activities, along with the enjoyment, there'll be new challenges for how to manage the extra possibilities of infection. Whether it’s...

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It’s thought that, at some point in our lives, 3 out of 5 of us will provide care for a family member or friend who, because of disability, illness or frailty, couldn’t manage otherwise. In spite of this, caring is something many of us know little about unless we’ve had personal experience of...

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Lockdown has presented many of us with an unexpected dilemma. As Stephen Fry recently tweeted: ‘One little bump in the road ahead concerns the issue of a haircut. A hair cut is a hair enhanced, a wise man once said. But I may end up mangling my mane with kitchen scissors. Or do I just let...

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