ADULTS in Bromsgrove, who care for someone living with a long-term illness or disability or who is frail, are being invited to attend a free course. Looking After Me, an expert patients’ programme course for carers, aims to help carers make time for themselves and look after their own health needs.

It strives to help carers take more control of their situation and make a difference to their lives.

It is aimed at people who themselves have a health problem and are caring for someone with an illness or disability, or any adult who is a carer and whose health is affected by this.

Worcestershire Primary Care Trust is putting on the free courses consisting of two-and-a-half hours, one day a week, for six weeks.

The courses will be run by volunteers who themselves are carers.

Research shows that regardless of the illness the person being cared for has, the things all carers have to deal with on a day-to-day basis are similar – tense muscles, pain, stress/anxiety, depression, fatigue and dealing with difficult emotions. The course aims to tackle this by giving people self-help skills, confidence to take more control of their lives and the opportunity to share experiences within a small friendly group. Two courses are planned – one will cover Bromsgrove, Droitwich Spa and the Wyre Forest areas, the other covering the south of the county. For more information, or to book a place, call Annette Jaep on 01527 507055.