Short, practical resources that ease stress and bring calm, even on your busiest days
Being a family caregiver isn't for the faint-hearted.
Why it may feel overwhelming
It may have ended up naturally on your plate or you made a conscious choice, either way, as their needs increase, so often does your stress level.
And then there’s the time factor. Caring for someone to help them through a rough patch is one thing. Caring for years whilst knowing someone won’t get better, is another.
Caring for someone with dementia can be even more mentally draining. Not only are you faced with ‘regular’ ongoing care, but often the person no longer understands that you’re only trying to help. This can lead to off-the-scale frustration for both.
Extra challenging
Sadly, this is not all that makes caregiving tricky. You may have had a loving connection with the person you care for. You wish to honour this and do right by them, by taking the care upon yourself personally. You may feel guilty for even (temporarily) considering additional support, while feeling exhausted at the same time. Or, your past relationship has been fractious, to say the least. You may now feel resentful that they’re impacting on your life so heavily. You may even sway constantly between love, duty, guilt, frustration and despair.
And then there's you ...
Yes you ... aside from caregiving, you are you. Your own person with perhaps a job, other relatives that need you, your own nothing out of the ordinary human needs, like putting your feet up with a cuppa, meeting friends or going for a restorative walk.
Our guides and mindfulness resources give you small but real wins, so you can keep going without burning out.
Is caregiving always doom and gloom? Of course not! There will be beautiful moments, positive shared activities and living well with dementia is possible. But our resources support you through the raw, not always so pretty, moments, situations, thoughts and feelings.
Meet Esther
Esther Wiskerke MSc, originally Dutch, but loving London as her home, is Symbiosia’s Founder and has been working for over 18 years with people experiencing complex behavioural and psychological symptoms caused by dementia and their families. She holds an MSc in Advanced Care in Dementia and has several academic publications.
She has been touched by how the various stages of dementia affect partners (even ex-spouses!), children, grandchildren, extended family, great neighbours and friends, who stepped up to the plate and how lack of sleep, distressed behaviour, the gradual loss of someone’s past and family dynamics cause complex emotions.
About Symbiosia
Symbiosia is a UK social enterprise/NGO with a refreshing vision for a new residential social care model, which is fun and fair for people and planet.
In answer to the current dreaded, expensive and under-resourced care settings. Its bold bio circular principles will relieve the guilt and resolve many of the other social care challenges, such as staff retention. Esther's innovative approach has led to recognition as a care trailblazer by the King’s College London Healthier Working Lives programme.
So thank you for exploring our resources, which all support the development of Symbiosia’s vision.
A friendly guide offering 52 easy-to-follow exercises to help reclaim your wellness, even in just a few spare minutes.
More than just a book, it’s a supportive companion for those who give so much of themselves to others.
Available in paperback or e-book.
Happy Staff, Healthy Organisation
Engaging, insightful training, skilfully created to promote team cohesion within the challenges of today’s world.
Great to know: Symbiosia’s corporate training contributes towards your corporate responsibility strategy, our support for caregivers, Symbiosia’s strategic development and our local in-person community programme.