Follow us: hu Improving life after brain injury Need to talk? 0808 800 2244 Donate Home About brain injury Individuals Brain injury and me Carer vacancy. Unpaid.... Share your story Share your story with us to help others affected by brain injury Lynne Moran I didn’t choose to be a carer, caring chose me Lorry driver Graham Moran, 59, was making his way to Hull when he had a cardiac arrest in the middle lane of the M62. This led to a hypoxic brain injury that would change not only his life, but his wife Lynne's life, forever. "I didn’t choose to be a carer, caring chose me," she said. "I had no option but to quit my job as an office administrator to look after the one person I knew would look after me if the tables were turned, my husband Graham." Lynne Moran, 52, has created her own carer's job description to explain the challenges unqualified carers face and the lack of support they receive. Carer vacancy. Unpaid. Full time. No experience required. Job requirements Pharmacist. Must give the correct medication at the correct times of day as prescribed by GP. NOT QUALIFIED Appointment secretary. Must ensure all appointments are diarised and kept up to date. NOT QUALIFIED Accountant. Must successfully budget a severely reduced household income due to the loss of two salaries. NOT QUALIFIED Personal hygienist. Must help with any bathing and/or toileting needs using manual handling techniques and/or lifting aids. NOT QUALIFIED Dietician. Must ensure a healthy diet is maintained incorporating all food groups and portion control when all your partner recognises is ice cream and fruit juice. NOT QUALIFIED Physiotherapist. Must make sure the brain injury survivor takes part in exercise to improve dexterity and counteract any physical defects due to brain injury. NOT QUALIFIED Occupational therapist. Must try to teach skills which have been lost due to brain injury and boost self-esteem and self-worth. NOT QUALIFIED Cleaner. Must do extra cleaning and laundry above the norm due to ‘accidents’. AT LAST A JOB I’M QUALIFIED FOR! I can work up to 70 hours a week over seven days. Some carers work more hours than that. Each week I am paid £64.60 Carer's Allowance, which means I earn £0.92 per hour. If I worked 70 hours a week in a care home at the basic NVQ level I would receive £548 before tax & national insurance deductions. That comes to £7.83 per hour. But wait a minute …… The working time directive states that 48 hours is the maximum I can work so a second carer would be required for the remaining 22 hours. Ahhh but then ….. During the working day a 20 minute break from the workplace is required during a six hour period. Carer number one has eight x 20 minute breaks a week and carer number two has two breaks. That's three and a half hours break in total for two carers and that’s just the legal requirements. Oh and don't forget Then there are the rest periods. An adult worker MUST have a rest period of no less than 11 hours between shifts and uninterrupted 24 hours rest in a seven day period. Do I now need 3 carers for the week??? All I know is that carers of loved ones are not paid their legal worth and do not get legal breaks. If carers were working in mainstream employment they would have the support of managers, trained nursing staff and senior care assistants. If a professional employed in the care industry becomes ill, they are entitled to Statutory Sick Pay worth £92.05 a week. But a carer does not receive sick pay. Carers often ignore their own health needs so they can concentrate on their loved ones. The support of Headway Attending Headway Lancaster and Morecambe Bay has opened my eyes to the complex issues around brain injury. My Headway friends have taught me it is OK to slow down occasionally. I feel I can openly talk with other carers of brain injury survivors and off-load my feelings of guilt without being judged. The Headway group gave me friends when my former work colleagues abandoned me. Just sitting and having a brew and a laugh is something precious to me – I hadn’t laughed much in the months before joining Headway, I cried a lot but never laughed. Back to stories index Caring If you are caring for someone with a brain injury or have a relative being treated in hospital, this section will help you to meet the challenges ahead and find the support you need. Find out more Carer support groups Often the best source of support is other carers in a similar situation to yourself. Find out more about what's available here. Find out more A day in the life of a carer Find out more Related resources Caring for someone with a brain injury Friends of Headway Individual membership Join/Renew Contact Us t: 0115 924 0800 e: enquiries@headway.org.uk Help us improve life after brain injury. Donate Improving life after brain injury 0808 800 2244 Call our free helpline 9am - 5pm, Monday to Friday. Or email helpline@headway.org.uk Join our online Community 27k Likes 25k Followers 3k Subscribers Privacy policy Cookies Terms & Conditions Accessibility Contact Us Resource centre Find a Headway Approved care providers Charity shops Fundraising comments, feedback and complaints Vacancies Join our mailing list Headway - the brain injury association is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (Charity no. 1025852) and the Office of the Scottish Regulator (Charity no. SC 039992). Headway is a company limited by guarantee, registered in England no. 2346893. © Copyright Headway 2021 - Site designed and developed by MEDIAmaker By clicking 'Accept All Cookies’ you agree to the storing of cookies on your device. This will help us to offer the best possible experience and develop more of the information you need. Accept All Cookies Cookies Settings