Caring for others, caring for oneself

C, from Göttingen, cared for her mother, who had dementia, for 10 years. When her mother passed away, C. made it her mission to continue caring for other people with dementia, as she was already unable to work her regular job. In her new role, she discovered that it is not always easy to keep calm and manage to keep everything in balance. During her interactions, she realised that when you’re caring for “strangers” rather than relatives, it is really important to develop a personal connection with them.

First, C. attended a training for family carers. She found it very interesting to share experiences with others in the same situation, leading to the realisation that she is not alone. In hindsight, that is something she would have liked to have had while she was caring for her mother. If one doesn’t feel too lost and alone, it is of immense help.

The workshops spurred C. to seek other opportunities for development. As a follow-up, she attended the SASSI design thinking course in Vienna. She realised that one can achieve much more if one works in a team. Therefore, people should always try to get help so as not to lose themselves as a person.

C. would like to tell other carers to definitely take a positive approach to their new phase of life and to keep an open mind. In order to help them, she became an Ambassador for mobility in later life. In the SASSI Conference in Peniche, Portugal, she relayed her own experience to her peers – how making a new start can seem, and indeed often is – hard – but it can always be very rewarding. One should not only focus on the people who need care. The people who remain active in later live should also remember their needs – to grow, to develop, to feel useful. Travelling, and learning together with peers, is one of the best ways to do so. This is what C. teaches her peers both at home and abroad.