Who do I care for?
I care for my wife Sasha who suffers from Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and MS-related Dementia. She is wheelchair bound and her cognitive functions are heavily impaired.
Challenges I face and how I deal with them
I work full time Monday to Friday for a large Construction company based in Leeds. Sasha has full-time care during the day while I am at work, but I act as her principal carer outside of work hours and at weekends. This involves a lot of physical work for myself, as well as the mental pressure in dealing with Sasha’s condition. I get very little respite during the course of a year although I always try and have a break in the summer during which time Sasha goes into respite care.
My employer is very supportive of my position and I have flexibility in my working pattern to take Sasha for appointments, or work from home if we have any healthcare/social care visits.
How has Carers Leeds helped me
Carers Leeds has been very supportive in terms of providing advice on benefit entitlements and wellbeing advice. As a member of the Carers Leeds Employers Forum, it is great to get feedback from other employers as to how they support working carers in their organizations.
The best thing about being a carer
- Gives me a real sense of purpose in life
- Makes me appreciate quality time spent with my wife
- Pride in what I do
My Carers Story is an ongoing project by Carers Leeds to capture the stories of unpaid carers across our city. If you are interested in taking part, please email Juliet.
