Shared Lives - have you got room in your home and heart?
Shared Lives deputy manager Andrew Cunningham-Gould talks about what the scheme can add to people's lives - both carers and those being cared for.
Shared Lives is a wonderful scheme where people who need support and can’t live on their own can be a part of a family. It is a different type of social care that is making a real difference to people’s lives – both those who are cared for and those who do the caring.
Here at the city council we work with so many wonderful people who have opened their homes – and their lives – to citizens who need a bit of support, whether older adults with dementia or younger adults, who need support with gaining independence skills and enablement.
It’s important that people feel like they’re part of the family when they stay in someone's home. This can be as easy as going to the park together or going out to lunch. That sense of normality can be just what people need to thrive.
Sometimes the support offered in more formal settings just doesn’t work for people. It is right for some, and it is important we have a range of provision, but Shared Lives is a really important part of the caring landscape. Everyone can fit in somewhere!
If you can support someone in your home for a period of time to give them the opportunity to be part of a family, or as respite for family carers, whether for a short period or for a few years, you will be doing amazing service.
We want people to know that there are options and to not be afraid of trying something new, there are many people out there who just want to help others and being a Shared Lives carer can really change lives for those opening their homes to others, not just those being cared for.
You can think you know about something but until you stand next to someone and stand in their shoes, you don’t really know what life is like for someone who has complex needs, or just needs a bit of support and I know our carers have really had their lives changed for the best.
We really want to recruit more carers to the scheme so we can have as many options for people that need care, so we would love to hear from anyone interested.
You can get more information on the Shared Lives web pages.
This blog was posted on 25 June 2024.