Aiming to support carers to feel empowered, informed and included when a loved one is admitted to Ward 4 at Dr Gray’s, this leaflet is now being distributed to local GPs as well as the hospital and other services in the community.
The team at Moray Wellbeing Hub are delighted to launch this new resource as part of Mental Health Awareness Week 2021. The leaflet was developed with staff from the mental health team, carers and feedback from organisations such as SAMH, Quarriers and Circles Advocacy.
As ever, the voice of lived experience was at the heart of design with Champions involved drawing on their own experiences as carers and inpatients to create something that would meet the brief. Alongside this a short survey also gathered further views, ensuring that the key points were covered.
The leaflet looks to the CHIME framework (Connection, Hope, Identity, Meaning Empowerment) to ensure all aspects of wellbeing are considered for carers and is jam-packed with tips to challenge stigma and preconceived concerns about the carer role at a time of crisis. It also features artwork by Martin Lambart, created whilst an inpatient at the ward, which acts as a tribute to his creative legacy for staff and family as well as a symbol of the vital partnership approach needed when supporting patients in recovery.
Whilst the leaflet can not cover every aspect of a stay in a hospital for mental health support, nor aspects such as the legal aspects of detention such as sectioning and Mental Health Tribunals, it sits alongside a patient information pack that ward staff created and aims to direct people to key organisations such as the Mental Welfare Commission.
As with all Moray Wellbeing Hub resources, the team look forward to receiving feedback and will endeavor to update the resource in time as information changes. Contact us with your thoughts and ideas.
