Alan Ingram - A Carer for his wife Ann
Alan from Bexley speaks about life as a carer for Ann
Alan and Ann Ingram first met on a coach holiday to the Black forest Germany in September 1985. Just seven years later, Ann was diagnosed with Parkinson's.
In 2001, Alan moved in to Ann's home and became her full time carer and they were married on Ann's 69th Birthday in May 2008.
Alan has been a Member of MedicAlert for many years. As a member of the Lions he was always a strong supporter of the service and although he did not need it medically, he wore an emblem to ensure his next of kin were made aware should anything happen to him. Now he is Ann's carer, and so Alan relies on his MedicAlert emblem to speak for him should he find himself in an emergency situation.
For Alan, it reassures him to know that should anything happen to him, that Bexley Social Services will be contacted by MedicAlert as there is nobody else to look after Ann. Alan says: ‘You hope you don't ever need it but I know it's there just in case'.
For many carers, they have sole responsibility for another person's livelihood. By becoming a Member of MedicAlert, it means that in case of an emergency, their carer's plan can be accessed immediately. Alan has Bexley Social Services as his emergency contact number so they will be contacted and Ann will be cared for in his absence.
Ann is also a Member of MedicAlert. As well as Parkinson's, she now also has been diagnosed with Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB) and more recently breast cancer. Ann is currently undergoing treatment for breast cancer and has been responding well to the treatment so far.
Alan talks us through a typical daily routine for himself and Ann:
‘I am woken up at around 5am most days as Ann is trying to get up, this can happen up to 3 times during the night when she decides she wants to get up and it can take me some time to settle afterwards' At around 7am they get up and it is very important for her to take her medication straight away, this is the beginning of a very regular dosage she needs throughout the day at two hour intervals.
Ann needs 8 tablets for her Parkinson's throughout the day and then a slow release tablet before bed and again if she wakes up during the night. She also takes 2 for her Lewy Bodies, 1 for her breast cancer and 1for depression. Alan says ‘You have to be diligent about it. The tablets just become a part of your daily routine'.
Once they are up, Alan assists Ann with getting dressed and then they continue with their day. Sometimes Ann is fine and can go upstairs to the bathroom by herself and other times, Alan says he'll notice she's been gone a while and finds she has frozen on the stairs and more recently she sometimes freezes when going through doorways. Ann has also started to suffer from double vision because of her Parkinson's which means that she can't watch the TV or do crosswords which she enjoyed previously.
Alan is a full time carer with no regular daily help but he does receive assistance from a few different sources. He recently has been supported by Bexley Social & Community Service, who has provided a week of respite care for Alan. The service offers him 4 separate weeks in the year where he can go and have a rest while Ann is looked after at a local care home. This is the first year that Alan has made use of this service and for the first week, he is planning to go and stay in a friend's chalet near the beach in Suffolk. He plans to relax with his dog, catch up on his reading and enjoy some time painting. He'll be heading back again to Suffolk later on in the Summer with Ann as she was a bit put out to hear she'd be missing it!
Alan and Ann also receive personal care payments; this allows them to use a small amount of money to choose the care that suits them. So next week, Ann has 4 hours of service from Crossroads so Alan can go to a Parkinson's meeting and 2 reflexology sessions are also booked. They also use the money to cover having someone to keep her company if Alan needs to go out for a meeting or if he wants to take an hour to meet up with friends. Bexley Social Services also provide care at home for 5 hours a month on a flexible basis and Crossroads offer them 3 hours a month where they will send someone to sit with Ann while Alan goes out.
Every day, Alan tries to make sure Ann gets out of the house by going for a walk in Abbey Wood with their Jack Russell, Taffy. They also have some great friends that they spend time with and who will keep Ann company if Alan needs to go out for a while. He feels it's very important for Ann to still have the treats in her life that she's always enjoyed and she finishes off most days with a small brandy and lemonade spritzer.
As part of Alan's ongoing work with Parkinson's UK he is constantly recommending to fellow carer's and people with Parkinson's that they should join MedicAlert to give themselves peace of mind when they're out and travelling. ‘Most people tend to take foreign holidays now and at least you know with MedicAlert they have a full history no matter where you are'.
