An unpaid carer is anyone who cares for a family member or friend who’s unable to cope without their support. This might be due to an illness, disability, mental health problem or an addiction.
Caring for a loved one can be tough – aside from the obvious physical, mental and financial toll caring can take, you may feel you lack some of the skills and confidence needed to take care of someone else.
While all FuturU’s care training is free and unlimited, here’s five courses we particularly recommend for individuals new to care.
An introduction to mealtime assistance
While it’s always encouraged that your loved one is actively involved in all aspects of their nutrition and hydration, there may be occasions where you need to support them. This 70 minute course covers eating, swallowing and feeding, as well as food and personal hygiene at mealtimes, and what you should do in the case of a choking incident.
By the end of the course, you’ll have a solid understanding of things like:
- Nutrition
- The swallowing process
- Why texture matters
- Basic food hygiene
- Allergens in food.
Continence Care Awareness
Incontinence can be a source of significant distress for a loved one. We’ll help you understand all aspects of continence health, and look at how incontinence can affect an individual. This course also suggests ways you can support your loved one with dignity and respect.
By the end of this 80 minute course, you’ll understand:
- What incontinence is and its different types
- How the bladder and bowel work, and how to maintain a healthy bladder and bowel
- How a catheter works
- The hygiene aspects of supporting a loved one with incontinence
- How you can assist your loved one to write a bladder/bowel diary.
Inner Wellness
While caring for a loved one can be incredibly rewarding, it can also take a massive physical and mental toll. You might feel exhausted and stressed, which can impact your overall wellbeing.
Our Inner Wellness course can help. In this eight part course, led by globally-recognised inner wellness coach Suhail Mirza, you’ll explore what the term inner wellness means, and discover the simple daily habits that can help you manage stress and anxiety and prioritise the emotions you want to feel.
Mental Health Awareness
This 30 minute course will give you an overall understanding of different mental health disorders and the strategies you can implement to help support your loved one’s mental health, as well as your own.
You’ll cover:
- What’s covered by the term mental health
- The different policies and laws relating to mental health
- How to recognise and implement self-help wellbeing strategies.
You’ll also take a detailed look at some of the most common mental health disorders.
Moving and handling people
Depending on the nature of the illness or disability the loved one you’re caring for has, you may need to help move them. This 90 minute course explains how to carry out manoeuvres correctly and safely, whether you’re using hoists or assisting someone to move from a chair to their bed.
You’ll also learn how poor moving and handling techniques can affect individuals, and gain an understanding of the laws and regulations surrounding the moving and handling of people.
Ready to start learning? Download the free FuturU app now to unlock these courses, plus over 100 more!
