Chapter 5: Working with families and carers

Case Study: Psychosis

Whilst visiting Simon, a 43-year-old service user who suffers from psychosis, you often meet with him and his mum. Simon and his mum have a very trusting relationship; his mum, ‘Joyce’ supports Simon unconditionally and he described her as his ‘rock’. Recently, when you went to see Simon you noticed that Joyce was very quiet.  Simon has asked you to have a word with her as he worried that she was so busy looking after him that she was neglecting her own needs.

As you sit with Joyce, having a cup of tea, she tells you that she loves Simon and would always take care of him, but that he has been unwell recently and  the additional worry and sleepless nights when he is troubled by the ‘nightmares’, has ‘got the better of her’. She feels sad about his suffering but worries how he will manage when she is no longer around (she is 75 years old). She says that she isn’t ill, just tired and not taking good care of herself.

Please refer to the main chapter to guide you in your answers to the following points for your consideration:

  1. What can you do to support Joyce?
  2. What are your responsibilities toward Joyce?
  3. The Care Act 2014 has wellbeing at the heart of social care. It makes services for carers and the people they care for equal.
  4. Rethink, the mental health charity provides some valuable information with regard to your responsibilities, (Rethink , 2017)

› Possible answer

  1.  
  • There is no ‘one size fits all’ model for supporting someone with a mental illness. How you care for someone will depend on you and the person you care for.
  • It can help to understand the diagnosis and how it affects the person you care for. Setting out roles and responsibilities together can be useful.
  • Be patient – getting better can take time.
  • The person you care for may have very challenging and complex behaviour. This can cause a lot of stress between you and the person you are caring for. There will be help available, however.
  • Encourage the person you’re supporting to be independent and take part in everyday activities.
  • If you live together setting out house rules can help.
  • Make a crisis or emergency plan.
  • Remember that you are not to blame if things get difficult.
  • Make sure you look after yourself and your own wellbeing.