What does 'Care' mean to you?

[fiorelli]

Doing an undergraduate certificate in Health and Social Care.

 

As part of my research, I have to ask various people what they understand from the word 'Care' - what do you think it means?

 

Do you mind telling me what you think?

 

I only need simple 1 word answers or a single sentence.

 

Thanks,

 

Fi xx

[KateBall]

ok - here goes. Here's one. "being looked after"

[fiorelli]

ok, I'll add my own (bearing in mind I've only asked for one?)...

 

Making meals.

[Clare63]

to facilitate a person with a personal function which they may struggle to do alone.

 

for example help to dress, they may choose the items but the "care" element would be to help put the item on.

[Mumble]

Stealing Clare's and adding to it:

 

to facilitate a person with a personal function which they may struggle to do alone at the present time. Potentially to support the individual to do the task themselves at a future point in time.

[Guest Lya of the Nox]

comfort

nourish

keep safe

educate

x

[pearl]

I think of 2 things:

 

Care as in what an agency provides

And care as in what family provides

 

I've been on carers forums cos of mum, & they get v upset when a paid care worker calls themself a "carer". That title seems to be reserved for those who do it out of love/duty, deffo not for the money cos there aint none!

Edited October 17, 2007 by pearl

[fiorelli]

Thank you all, there are some great thoughts there (anyone got any more?!)

 

Pearl, this is basically what my first essay is about - Informal Carers - What they do, how they do it, what defines an informal carer, who is an informal carer, whether or not the 'label' matters, what support is there for informal carers. And I have the grand total of 800 words to do it in!

[Kathryn]

For me, two possible meanings come to mind:

 

Care as a feeling as in "I care about you" = being concerned for someone's wellbeing.

 

Care as an action as in "I care for my relative" = doing something practical to promote the wellbeing of someone else.

 

The first should lead naturally to the second, I suppose.

 

(sorry, that's more than one sentence!)

 

 

K x

[pearl]

You might find some useful contacts on carers.org. You could try the chat room. Feisty bunch these carers, I'm sure theyd be glad to give you some ideas!

[fiorelli]

Thanks Pearl! Will head over there in the morning (I'm wrapping up for the night now).

 

If people can continue giving their thoughts, I'd be very grateful. Thanks!

[pearl]

Thank you all, there are some great thoughts there (anyone got any more?!)

 

Pearl, this is basically what my first essay is about - Informal Carers - What they do, how they do it, what defines an informal carer, who is an informal carer, whether or not the 'label' matters, what support is there for informal carers. And I have the grand total of 800 words to do it in!

 

By informal do they mean, not professional?

Or do they mean in addition to the main family carer?

Or do they mean the main family carer?

The label matters cos of legal stuff, advocating for your caree.

Support - hahahahahahah!

Pm me if you like, I could go on for hours!

[fiorelli]

Informal as in someone not paid to care for someone (if that makes sense)

[pearl]

Informal as in someone not paid to care for someone (if that makes sense)

 

That would be me, then.

[fiorelli]

Pearl, the definition of an informal carer given in my text book is:

 

A person who takes unpaid responsibility for the physical and/or mental well-being of someone who cannot perform the tasks of daily living unaided, because of illness or disability

[Clare63]

Pearl, the definition of an informal carer given in my text book is:

 

A person who takes unpaid responsibility for the physical and/or mental well-being of someone who cannot perform the tasks of daily living unaided, because of illness or disability

 

 

Sorry to add confusion but surely care is the same whether given as informal or paid ?

[pearl]

Yup thats what I do for mum, but I'm her "official" carer as I'm the one doing the bulk of it, no one else gets carers allowance for her, & I dont cos I work, so I'm down in the paperwork as her carer.

[pearl]

Sorry to add confusion but surely care is the same whether given as informal or paid ?

 

Care worker - someone who does it for a living

Paid carer - you do it for a family member & get the princely sum of �48.65 per week

Informal carer - you do it for nowt cos you dont qualify for Carers Allowance

[fiorelli]

Pearl, you have it nearly right.

 

Even if you are in receipt of Carers Allowance, you are still classed as an informal carer. This is because CA (previously invalid care allowance) was introduced by the government as a way of saying to informal carers 'we know what you are doing, you are saving us X amount of �, you are doing a valuable job' There are however, guidelines as to what an informal carer is (put simplisticly, if you weren't working and could get Carers Allowance, you would be classed as an informal carer. So if you meet the criteria, you are an IC whether you get the money or not).

 

Clare, at the moment, I would say it is. What my course is looking at (at the moment), is that not everyone sees themselves as an Informal Carer, why that is, and what benefit there is (if any) of a person changing that viewpoint. I will then go on to look at other forms of caring over the next few months, and the legislations that are in place.

[pearl]

Thanks Fi, I didnt know that.

Big of the govt isnt it, wow 48.65 per week.

Thats why I still work as well.

 

FWIW, its only after looking after mum that I realised I was a "carer" - I'd never thought of calling myself that when raising JP as I couldnt separate that from being his mum.

[baddad]

To give consideration to the needs of another

 

 

 

 

(as opposed to projecting your needs onto another)

 

L&P

 

BD

[Cariad]

Care = Helping someone and looking after them (ie with things they find difficult such as washing, dressing etc)

 

I too am a Carer, I get the allowance for looking after my son, I don't work either.

[Suze]

CARE..........empathy and love.

[Frangipani]

Doing an undergraduate certificate in Health and Social Care.

 

As part of my research, I have to ask various people what they understand from the word 'Care' - what do you think it means?

 

Do you mind telling me what you think?

 

I only need simple 1 word answers or a single sentence.

 

Thanks,

 

Fi xx

 

What does care mean to me? Its is about providing support structures to someone unable to achieve it alone. Jumping through the hoops and removing obstacles that turns the 'not possible' into 'possible'.

 

Never say never!

 

Fxx

[purplegail]

Hiya

 

''providing whatever the person in your care needs - physical or emotional''

 

Gail

[fiorelli]

Thank you for your help there are some really good ones suggested.

 

What about:

 

Making the beds.

chastisement.

praise.

telling a person to do their homework.

[Tally]

I agree that caring can mean looking after someone, doing things for them, helping them and all sorts of nice, fuzzy things.

 

Care can be a feeling too, can't it? Like I care about my family, even when I can't do anything practical for them, I care about their needs and their feelings, and try to think of things I can do to help - sometimes all I can do is listen, and I'm not very good at that either, but I try because I care.

 

Care can also mean being hard on someone. I have to be really strict with my cat. She has behavioural problems because of a history of physical abuse and neglect. I have to be strict and teach her better ways to behave. This has made her happier, more relaxed and able to enjoy being stroked. I do it because I care about her. If I didn't care I would just give her whatever she wants when she bites me. It would be easier because I would get bitten less, but she would never learn better ways to ask for things. It might seem like caring to spoil her after her hard start in life, but it wouldn't make her happy.

[wilson]

Hi,

 

care may mean concern, consideration, genuine feeling or to look after, nurture, provide support. Sometimes the meanings become clearer when we think of 'to care for' or 'to care about'.

[Robot]

Lets not forget that we also care for ourselves.

 

I would say that the word "care" means to protect from harm.

[Clare63]

Thank you for your help there are some really good ones suggested.

 

What about:

 

Making the beds.

chastisement.

praise.

telling a person to do their homework.

 

Making a drink

preparing food

giving medication

wiping bottoms

bathing

Hair washing

Nail clipping

Putting on plasters

Filling out paper work

shopping

Cleaning and clearing up

being there when the person awakes in the night, after a nightmare, wetting the bed, needing the toilet, being sick etc

Motivating

Encouraging

Empathising

Mowing the lawn

Putting out the bins

Walking the dog

Feeding the cat, pets etc

Providing transport

keeping company

[oxgirl]

For me:

 

Care = showing concern for someone's welfare.

 

~ Mel ~

[BuntyB]

Thank you all, there are some great thoughts there (anyone got any more?!)

 

Pearl, this is basically what my first essay is about - Informal Carers - What they do, how they do it, what defines an informal carer, who is an informal carer, whether or not the 'label' matters, what support is there for informal carers. And I have the grand total of 800 words to do it in!

 

They get on with what they need to do, with difficulty. An informal carer is one who does it for love, not money. The label might, alledgedly, bring recognition, but largely it doesn't. You care for your family whether they have a disability or not, hence why a lot of people don't see themselves as 'carers'. And no, there isn't a lot of support. As long as you do it, nobody is interested!

[Tjololo]

I guess that 'care' means to look after the needs of another person, regardless of whether or not that person is able to address those needs or not. For example, cooking a meal for a spouse/friend/relative (who is fully functioning) is still a form of caring.