The woman who co-ordinates support for adult carers in Eden is retiring after 15 years.
Wendy Rheam joined Carer Support Eden as a support worker for unpaid carers but now, after 15 years with the charity is handing over the baton to new recruit Cairn Murray.
Wendy said: “There have been a lot of changes in support for unpaid carers since I joined in 2007. I was the first official support worker for what was Eden Carers, carrying out carer assessments for Adult Social Care.
“I joined before the Carers Act was passed by Parliament, which brought in emergency plans.”
The Care Act 2014 recognises the equal importance of supporting carers and the people they care for and gives carers the right to receive support from their local authority if they have eligible needs.
The act requires local authorities to ensure the provision or arrangement of services, facilities or resources to help prevent, delay or reduce the development of needs for care and support.
Wendys’s role was to carry out the carer’s assessment to access the support for unpaid carers.
Wendy added: “As a charity, Carer Support Eden has developed to provide more services for people who are caring for their loved ones, providing unpaid carer.
“Carers have limited time to attend events that could enhance their lives and provide a break from their caring duties. This is why I believe the sitting service is one of the biggest changes introduced in the past 15 years.
“Our free sitting service, gives unpaid carers a break from their role as a carer, while knowing that the person they care for is being looked after.
” I have seen how providing a volunteer sitter to stay with the person they care for, for just an hour a week can make such a difference to the unpaid carer.
“I also have a lot of respect for our volunteer sitters, going into people’s homes makes such a difference to the unpaid carer’s lives.”
Cairn said: “This is a good time to be picking up the baton. As an unpaid carer myself, I have seen the situation from the other side and what a difference Carers Support Eden can and has made.
“I am looking forward to the new role.”
