"Carers Week is an annual campaign to raise awareness of caring, highlight the challenges unpaid carers face and recognise the contribution they make to families and communities throughout the UK." Carers Week (8th-14th June)
Join us this Carers Week (8th-14th June) for a week of FREE virtual activities as we celebrate and give thanks to our carers for their contributions to those in the ataxia community.
If you are a carer looking for more information on the support available to you, please have a look at the Carers UK website or contact our Helpline.
Coming up in Carers Week:
Mindfulness
1pm-2pm
This session will combine breathing techniques with visualisation and meditation, as well as yoga “nidra” (“yogic sleep”) with stretch and release exercises, body scan and positive affirmations. Meditation can help take your mind to a place of inner peace and relaxation. It is an exercise of the entire body; neural highways, circulatory and respiratory system. The aim is to provide a “toolkit” to help deal with the challenging situations and frustrations that may arise in daily life by relaxing the body and central nervous system and calming the mind.
What you will need to take part
Wear comfortable clothes.
Find a quiet, warm place with ambient lighting, switch off phones and notifications.
Ability to focus on the practice is maximised when seated upright in a comfortable chair (including wheelchair) with feet placed flat on a support or the ground. However, the practice could be enjoyed lying down, if preferred.
If seated, a neck support or pillow may be useful plus access to another small cushion or similar.
We recommend using a PC or laptop to join rather than mobile where possible.
Please Note: Relaxation techniques may cause drowsiness so be sure to be in a safe and secure position in case of falling asleep.
Carers Support Group Meeting
2pm-3:30pm
Please join this Carers Support Group meeting which offers a welcoming space where carers can connect, share experiences, and receive emotional and practical support from others who understand the challenges of caring for a loved one with ataxia.
All About Ataxia Plus: Care Needs
12:30-2:30pm
Join us for a 60 minute session with our Advocacy and Helpline Manager, Jessica Sugden as she discusses Care Needs. This session is designed to help people with ataxia and their carers to get the extra support they may need to manage daily life and maintain their independence. "This session will look at the care needs and carers assessment - we will look at what it is, what sort of thing can help, what the criteria is and how to access it."
Please send any questions beforehand to volunteering@ataxia.org.uk.
To receive the meeting links for the virtual sessions listed above, please complete the booking form below. An email will then be sent to the email address you provide with all the Zoom meeting registration links.
