Charlotte Straker have launched an appeal to raise £120,000 to create a permanent respite bed for 3 years. The free service will offer carers a break by offering a respite bed with full nursing care for a patient.
There is now a severe shortage of respite care in the district. Hard pressed families and carers are finding it difficult to access respite services, so in an effort to help, the Community Respite Care Bed Appeal was launched in in order to provide a local respite service.
The Trustees hope to raise funds to provide one respite care bed from January 2017. This bed will be free to clients and used by those nursing or residential clients who don’t require a long stay in a care home or admission to a nursing home. The bed will cost approximately £40,000 a year to run and a target of £120,000 has been set to secure the first three years of operation.
Caring can be exhausting, and it can be a 24-hour job, so a stay in a respite bed even for a week, will really make a difference to a struggling sole carer or family.
So far the Trustees have been heartened and delighted by the support they have received. Over £35,000 has been raised, including generous donations from local businesses and community groups, plus monies raised from fundraising events.
The annual costs are £40,000 and so to run the pilot for 3 years the target is £120,000. There is a clear need for this service in Tynedale and if you’d like to find out more or if you’d to donate or help in any way please contact the charity via it’s web site – www.charlottestraker.org.uk/our-care/services/respite-care/.
Donations can be made mydonate.bt.com/charities/thecharlottestrakerproject.