Welcome to Headway Essex’s carer support and advice page. We’re here to make sure that nobody has to face living with brain injury alone.

In reaching this page, it’s likely you are caring for a partner, parent, son, daughter or friend with an acquired brain injury.

You might need help in dealing with a range of emotions you find yourself experiencing, or just want to understand more about brain injury, its effects and the specialist support available both to your loved one and you as a carer.

Or perhaps you just want to talk to someone who understands exactly what you are going through.

To contact the community support team, please call 01206 845945 or email us

How can Headway Essex help?

We are here to listen, help and support you, at any stage from the hospital bedside to many years down the line.

Through our support line, our support team can provide you with direct, emotional and practical support.

There is no fee for using our help line, which is available for you to call between 8.30am – 4.30pm Monday to Friday (except for public holidays).

Carers and Relatives Support Groups

Many people who have a brain injury and their carers and relatives find our support group meetings very beneficial.

The groups provide a safe space where carers can access peer support from like-minded individuals and to come together to discuss ideas and experiences and build friendships within the group.

We run monthly Carers and Relatives Groups in Benfeet and Colchester .

If you would like to learn more, please reach out to us at 01206 845945 or email abisupport@headwayessex.org.uk.

‘Don’t Forget About Me’ – Workshops for Unpaid Carers of Adults with Acquired Brain Injury

We are running a series of workshops aimed at unpaid carers of adults with acquired brain injury.

The workshops provide tools and strategies to promote independence for the cared for, alleviate the burden on the carer, help the carer manage stress, avoid burnout, and maintain their own well-being.

Caring for someone with an acquired brain injury can be challenging and often a family member assumes the role of an unpaid carer with little or no understanding of what it will entail and how his or her life will change. By listening to carers, we have developed a programme specifically aimed at supporting the carer. Over the course of five-consecutive weekly sessions, the programme will cover:

  • Looking at the physical, emotional and cognitive changes involved in supporting a loved one. How that can make you feel and how you manage these changes.
  • Changes in roles, relationships and responsibilities for you and your relative with the brain injury; and how this can have knock on effect on you, other family members and friends.
  • Looking at the functioning of the brain and some of the effects of Acquired Brain Injury (ABI); some of the clinical terms used and sharing experiences and coping skills.
  • Advice and presentations from relevant experts in the field of brain injury care and social care.

 

Workshops run annually in Colchester and Benfleet, one day a week over 5-weeks.

Next scheduled programme starts:

Date & Time 17/1/25 – 10am to 3pm

Location: JobServe Community Stadium, Colchester

Booking is essential. For more information, please contact: abisupport@headwayessex.org.uk. Telephone 01206 845945 Option 1

Quotes from carers who attended previous sessions:

“Loved these few weeks, I felt able to talk freely, in confidence with others who knew my situation, understand our difficulties, stress, emotional burnout, and I feel I can express my darkest days and know everyone will listen, support and encourage me to keep going.”

“Initially I was not sure if I needed this programme. I’m so grateful that I did. Being in a very safe and confidential space to share and learn from our experiences made quite a difference to my mental health at the time. The bond between us all was cemented very quickly. Content was interesting and challenging and delivered with empathy and understanding. I think we all, staff and carers, were very sad when the course ended, for me it had become a bit of a lifeline.”

working together

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