Being a carer is tough work; no-one is denying it.

It seems you’ve got two choices: spend all your time looking after the person you love who is living with dementia, or access full-time nursing care.

Admitting you may need help is a difficult decision for a carer, even when the caring duties are causing you stress, fatigue and burnout.

Me2U Centre acts as a bridge to help you carry on enjoying your life outside of your caring role while enabling the person with dementia to stay at home for longer.

This means daytime respite care in a warm, friendly and stimulating environment.

We’re going to look at the case of a couple, Marie and Harry.

Marie was at a crossroads, determined to keep her husband Harry at home for as long as possible, but finding the day-to-day care work was becoming increasingly challenging.

When Marie heard about Me2U Centre, she went along and got a positive feeling about the centre and decided to take Harry there once a week. This would give her respite for six hours to let her relax, during which time she felt confident leaving Harry because of the professionalism and friendliness of the staff.

Now Harry spends two days a week with us, enjoying some social time chatting with other men and taking part in our activities such as dominos, cards or watching cricket and football.

Meanwhile, Marie can socialise and attend to the things that make her feel good about herself, such as getting her hair or nails done, meeting friends or just a well-earned snooze at home. She also enjoys reading, shopping, or taking the opportunity for some alone time.

When she picks Harry up, she is refreshed and able to enjoy looking after him:

I hope this story makes you feel a little better about considering day care with the Me2U Centre if you were having doubts. We are also on hand to assist, advise and help you with your loved one’s treatment plan while you continue to care for them at home.

Me2U Centre is a professional, people-centred care facility, led by a trained mental health nurse. 

The account of Marie and Harry was taken from an independent case study carried out by EQE Health and is featured in our June 2018 Rapid Service Review and Case Study Report.