Hello everyone, this is my first post. I’m a carer for my Husband who has several health conditions. He has a rare condition called Mitochondrial Disease which affect his balance, hearing and heart amongst other things. He has an ICD pacemaker too, he also has dialysis 3 times a week which is where he picked up your leaflet for me.
I myself have M.E and Fibromyalgia so some days are a struggle for me. Some days I can’t get out of bed and on those days my Husband has to fend for himself.
We have a Son at home that helps when he can.
I struggle, I’m not gonna lie. I get snappy with him and angry with myself because I can’t do as much as I used to.
Anyway that’s about it. Anyone else have similar things going on?
I used to be very fit, currently hobbling around with an ankle issue, and widowed, life is so different now.
Don’t get snappy with your husband, get snappy with your health issues and then do something about it.
Have you both claimed PIP (assuming you are under 65?
Have you both had Needs Assessments and Carers Assessments?
Do you have a shower, dishwasher, tumble dryer? They make life so much easier.
Do you have anyone doing basic cleaning, hoovering, bathroom?
Hi LadyJ, welcome. You’re caring for him while managing ME and fibro yourself, which means on the bad days there’s nobody covering either of you, and that’s the part I’d sort first. Building on bowlingbun’s point about a Carer’s Assessment: it’s free from your council’s adult social care and it’s about your needs as the carer, completely separate from any assessment of your husband. The useful bit is it can fund respite or a paid carer for the days you’re flat in bed, so he isn’t left fending for himself. His dialysis and cardiac needs might also flag him for NHS Continuing Healthcare screening, so worth asking his renal team about that. Has the council ever actually looked at either of you, or has it all just landed on the two of you so far?