Programme for Families and Carers
Many family members and friends are thrust into the role of carer without warning. Many of you may also be looking out for the health and wellbeing of other family members, or you may have a job outside the home. Juggling these challenges is not easy. We are here to help you get ‘on with life’.
At Acquired Brain Injury Ireland we believe in a person-centred approach. That means we pay attention, not only to the needs of brain injury survivors, but also to the needs of their family members and carers.
We have learned a lot about what helps families and carers carry on this valuable role, and how carers need support too. Our On With Life Families and Carers Programme provides the support and resources you need to reduce stress and anxiety, to understand more about brain injury and the life you are currently living. We provide information on steps to take to keep yourself physically and emotionally healthy. We also share tips on how to meet family needs and cope with the additional demands of maintaining a healthy work/life balance.
The primary goal of the On With Life Programme is to reach as many people as possible throughout Ireland who care for a loved one with an acquired brain injury. We offer information, education, training and support to families which, in turn, will help to reduce isolation, anxiety, and the burden of care.
Support Groups
Living with and caring for someone with a brain injury is a life-changing event. Our ‘On With Life’ support groups give family members and friends an opportunity to share experiences, information and support each other.
These are safe spaces, where participants can express emotion, acknowledge feelings, or question thoughts and beliefs. If you are newly impacted by an acquired brain injury, you will benefit from hearing from families with more lived experience, as they share information and talk about the coping skills they used to support themselves through this change in their lives.
‘On With Life’ support groups take place online, with some groups also organised in person. They are facilitated by members of our expert team, and open to anyone in Ireland caring for a loved one with brain injury.
You may already be linked into our services, or joining ‘On With Life’ may be your first introduction to Acquired Brain Injury Ireland. You are all welcome.
Information sessions and support groups are organised in locations across Ireland on a month-to-month basis. For more information email Dolores, dgallagher@abiireland.ie.
1st Tuesday of each month, 7pm – 8pm
1st Wednesday of each month, 10am – 11am
Last Thursday of each month ,11am – 12 noon
Join the On With Life Programme
To join ‘On With Life’ we ask you to complete a short form so that we can contact you with information about upcoming support groups, as well as information sessions and wellbeing activities. We will also arrange a phone call with you to learn more about your needs, and how the programme can help.
74%
of participants agree the ‘On With Life’ support group facilitator is a good mentor to me.
81%
of participants agreed that ‘On With Life’ helped them feel less anxious about their situation.
100%
Nearly 100% agreed that ‘On With Life’ provided training, education and information to understand the impact of a brain injury in their life.
85%
of participants agreed that ‘On With Life’ provided them with skills to cope better with their situation.
Education and Information Sessions
Throughout the year, the ‘On With Life’ team hosts online information and education sessions to provide guidance and training to family members and carers. Past sessions have included talks with specialist Legal Advisors, Psychologists, Wellbeing Experts, Case Managers and Social Workers.
As a member of ‘On With Life’ these sessions are available free of charge and nationwide. We update our website with upcoming events on an ongoing basis. We will also send event details to members directly by email.
On With Life Events
Members’ Facebook Group
Join the On With Life Families and Carers Programme Facebook Group to connect with other family members and carers of loved ones living with an acquired brain injury. The Group is a private, safe space for members to share experiences and information with one another.
Supporting You to Care
Through On With Life, members may also access one-to-one support by working through The Carers Star.
The Carers Star is a tool to help get the balance right for you, so that you can optimise your well-being and be effective in your caring role. It looks at seven different areas of your life, such your health, how you feel, work and financial issues.
Supported by a member of the On With Life team, you decide where you are on your journey for each of the seven areas. Then you agree which areas you want to work on, and what approach you will take. At regular points you go back to the Star with your On With Life team contact, to review what is working well and where things could still be improved for you.
Guidebook for Families and Carers
Our ‘On With Life’ Guidebook has been developed specifically for those caring for a loved one with an acquired brain injury. It includes information about brain injury, tips about managing physical and emotional health, and practical coping strategies.
Video Resources for Families and Carers
Contact the On With Life team
Dolores Gallagher, Facilitator – On With Life Carers and Families Programme
29 Cahereens West
Castleisland
County Kerry
The ‘On With Life’ Carers and Families Programme was approved by Government with support from the Dormant Accounts Fund.