Staying in balance
There are various care leave options for informal caregivers: emergency leave, short- and long-term care leave, flexible working. MantelzorgNL has created a guide especially for you. Roadmap: How to combine work and informal care? - MantelzorgNL
Want tips on having a conversation with your loved one and/or employer? We are happy to think with you personally.
Also watch the video with 3 tips for combining (home) work with informal care:
Need a break? A night's sleep? Or do you need to go to the hospital for an operation yourself? Substitute care (also called respite care) can help. Check the “I'm looking for substitute care” guide for options: Signpost: I am looking for substitute care - MantelzorgNL
Read more about the local dementia planable lodge care project on the dementiezorg.nl website: Lodge care for people with memory problems and dementia - Dementia Care
As a family caregiver, things can get too much for you at times. Whether you are (almost) overburdened is not always easy to recognize. Martin Riswick, GGZ nurse practitioner tells what to look out for:
Informal care can be hard. A buddy or pal can support you (mentally) to get or keep your life on track. Watch the video for more information:
Most people want to die in their own familiar surroundings. Together with informal caregivers (partners, children, family and friends) and professional caregivers, volunteers do what needs to be done during this special and uncertain time. They do not perform medical, nursing or heavy household tasks, but complement what family members and friends do. The volunteers are well trained. The help they provide is free of charge.
Contact: Lydia van Doremalen, Regional Coordinator of VPTZ Department, tel. 06 28 12 15 48 or e-mail lydia.vandoremalen@surplus.nl.
Also view the video in which VPTZ volunteers themselves talk about what they do:
Family caregivers often face loss. Not only when their loved one dies, but also in life. Loss in life is often less recognizable. For example, parents with a child with a disability experience feelings of loss. But a diagnosis, the changes in a loved one's character, loss of social contacts and a shared future can also bring feelings of grief.
Kintugi is a symbolic way to reflect on this alone or with children, without talking about it. This is because in Japan they make shards/scars visible with gold. To do this, you pick a heart, bowl or vase. Break the material with a stone or smash it against the wall. After breaking it, write feelings or memories on the inside. In addition, you can insert a bill. Like loss, gluing with glue and gold dust requires gentleness and patience: “Break into shards, find the most beautiful ones and take them...”. Watch the DIY video below.
Want to talk about loss? Get in touch with team Informal Care.