Daniel, 79, has been caring for his wife since 2014. She has severe epilepsy and early onset dementia. He heard about the Hope Programme for Carers from an email that he was sent from the Carers Trust. Daniel decided to join the course while he and his wife are waiting to be assessed for care support.

The course content and materials were made available online at the start of every week. “I found it very good” says Daniel. “I could do it in various stages, dip into it at different times during the week. There are quizzes, the learning text and activities. The videos were interesting.”

Daniel also went to the ‘Hope Cafe’ – a weekly online Zoom session with other people who are on the same course, which is hosted by the course facilitators. “They do a quick recap on the last session. Then we could all just talk about how we found going through the course that week. At the end, they introduce what we’ll be looking at next week”.

Daniel found that the Hope for Carers course reassured him that he was already coping well as a carer. “I’m fairly logical when it comes to planning my time. Our day is quite structured – when we get up, what time we have meals, when medications are due” he explains. Doing the course allowed him to recognise that this works well – and he also now realises that there are other people worse off than himself. “Some people might not be doing that. And I can see that we’re actually really lucky, because my wife goes to a day care centre once a week. So I already have some personal time.”

So, what has Daniel taken away from the course that has made a lasting impression upon him?

“You think that what’s going on in your life is happening in isolation, but it’s not. There are probably hundreds of other people in the same position. The thing that really struck me is - I’m not alone.”

Hope Programme courses are delivered part of Live well with Hope project, funded by NHS Charities Together, working in conjunction with University Hospital Coventry & Warwickshire Charity.

Daniel's Hope story

“You think that what’s going on in your life is happening in isolation, but it’s not. There are probably hundreds of other people in the same position. The thing that really struck me is - I’m not alone.”