Time for You - the stories so far

“I am very pleased to receive your grant and have enjoyed spending it. I have bought a bistro set which can stay outside all year around without getting rusty or damaged and some plants. My husband Ian was away for two weeks respite care and came home with Covid. At the moment we are having to isolate, so it’s great we have our garden to use. Here is a photo of Ian watering some of the plants I bought. They have really cheered us up during this difficult time.”

- Alexis Powell 

“Rick and I went to Durnhouse in Portsoy yesterday. We had a lovely high tea, went a stroll to the harbour and then had a really nice dinner. It was our 26th wedding anniversary on the 27th of April so was a perfect way to celebrate it.”

- Catherine Helen Brown
 

“My daughter and I used our Time For You prize today at the Spa Blythswood Square. We were supposed to have time in the thermal rooms before a massage and dinner, but the thermal experience broke...flooded. So we both had a full body massage and facial each. Both treatments were amazing. We had time to chillout after our treatments and then had dinner— two courses.
I just want to thank Alzheimer Scotland for awarding us this money. It means the world as I don't have a lot of mum and daughter time with my girly as I work full-time for TRFS and care for my mum who has Alzheimer's. Our massages were amazing and I feel more relaxed and able to carry on with my caring duties.“

-Abi Boutcher
 

“I am so grateful to you for awarding us the £300 grant. We used it to buy 3 Echo Shows; one for me in Arran, one for my daughter (Ellie) in New Zealand and one for my mum in Stewarton! We were hoping that we might be able to allow much easier communication between Ellie and my mum especially, and for me to see my mum every day.
Not being at all tech savvy, it did take me a little bit of time to set it up and understand.
My mum was absolutely aghast that Alexa was doing what we asked her to do, and I think she felt like Harry Potter making the machine work with her spell, but it actually was magical!”

- Dorothy Ritchie
 

“Think like a fish, that’s what my wife, Margaret, says about me! What has the Time For You Fund done for me? Dementia doesn’t just impact the life of the person diagnosed it has a profound effect on partners and carers as well which is where the Time For You fund comes in. Grants support family carers to find a little time for themselves away from caring ‘duties’. Time to do some-thing for yourself, a chance to clear your head and recharge your batteries.

As a family carer you are ‘on call’ supporting and looking after your partner 24 hours a day, none of us resent this but it is still important to be able to find time to do things for yourself as an individual whether that be returning to a hobby, having a short break away on your own or taking a break away from everyday life together.

I have used my grant to pay for my season ticket to fish on my local river Garry. I can now go and fish whenever there is the chance with-out having to organise day permits etc. I may still only get away for a few hours each week, but those hours are priceless, time to forget everyday responsibilities (just for a little while) and just stand on the river bank appreciating the peace and quiet. For a few hours all that matters is where I might catch a fish, where might that fish be ‘lying’ in the river and how might I tempt it in essence - ‘think like a fish’! That’s me - think like a fish….. “

- Barry Northedge