About the Book

The workshop is a true story come to life. It is a combination of my work in healthcare as a Therapy TI working with rehab and end of life patients in an inpatient setting, then changing roles to become a full-time Carer to both parents in their twilight years.

It is designed to incorporate fun and healing, at the same time it is interactive with lots of hints and tips for Carers to put into practice and adapt to make it their own. Most importantly it encourages the Carer to recharge and invigorate their own body and mind, so that they can help to heal themselves and those who they care for.

You can find Carers day out workshop on Amazon @ £7.99 with Prime.

Here is a photo of my parents enjoying a massage and as dad would say “You’re never too old to learn”.

Buy the Book Now
Book cover titled 'Carers day out Workshop' by Jo Nicholls, featuring white daisies with yellow centers on a teal background.
An elderly man with a bald head lying in bed, appearing to receive a foot massage from a woman. The room has framed pictures on the wall, a large clock, and a couple of windows.

Twinkle Toes!

Illustration of a yellow butterfly with black antennae and a purple butterfly with black antennae.
A digital illustration of two butterflies, one yellow and one light purple, with simple design elements and a transparent background.
Minimalist illustration of a butterfly with soft peach and red wings, yellow body, and black antennae.
A colorful infographic illustrating the inspiration behind a workshop, featuring a sun, a cloud with the question 'What was the inspiration behind the workshop?', and various flowers and butterflies surrounding the text.

I used to say “You can have all the training in the world… but there’s nothing like looking after your parents!”

2022

Pink and white blossoms on a flowering tree with green leaves and dark branches.
Three women with glasses smiling inside a cozy home with a framed painting on the wall.
A cartoon butterfly with pink, red, yellow, and black colors, featuring a yellow body, pink and red wings, and antennae, set against a black background.
A cartoon pink butterfly with black antennae and black body on a black background.

Jane’s Story

This is me and my friend Jane, as you can see we go back a long way! Our parents were great friends throughout their lives.

Jane’s mum passed around the same time as my parents.

We had lots of chats about how we were feeling and after Jane said that she felt ‘numb’, I thought of my old therapy file and if there was some way I could use it to help.

It was then I decided to dig it out and rewrite it…which became the Carers workshop.

Multiple overlapping hearts in pastel colors of purple, pink, and blue on a black background.
A young boy and a young girl sitting outdoors on a sunny day, with the boy holding a small object in his hand. The background shows a brick wall, some greenery, and a partly cloudy sky.
Illustration of two butterflies, one yellow and one pale purple, floating against a black background.
A light purple speech bubble with quotes containing a written testimonial from Jane about her emotional healing journey after her mother's passing, mentioning her sister Jo, a workshop, and her progress over three years.

How did I do it?

A graphic with three flowers and text describing a family story. The text says: 'Dad was a brilliant wordsmith and storyteller, Mum was an artist and full of creativity, then there was me...ummm!'

I just went with the flow and the workshop manifested with their help and guidance.

The message behind it was so strong ‘to look after yourself whilst caring for others’, but the actions are so simple and everyone can do them.

I remember ‘well meaning mental health care professionals’ who visited the house saying, “Jo… you’ve got to look after yourself! Go out for a coffee with your friends, take a break, have 5 minutes to yourself.”

Of course I would thank them. But inside I was thinking, I haven’t got 5 minutes…

I haven’t even got 1 minute.

I can hear you saying… “that sounds familiar”

with all this in place, out came the workshop in all its glory!

An open book with colorful illustrations of flowers, a moon, and stars emerging from its pages, surrounded by flowers.
Multiple colorful paper flowers in shades of yellow, pink, and peach on a black background.
Abstract floral design with three large pastel-colored flowers in pink, peach, and yellow, set against a black background.

Giving Back

A percentage of the workshop sales, allow free copies to be distributed to the Caring community in the UK.

With the assistance of the Community Admiral nursing team and the libraries, the Carers Boxes are handed out to Carers… who they think would benefit. I am very grateful to them for their ongoing help and support.

A gift basket containing various items, including a box labeled 'Sea Breeze,' a box labeled 'Classic,' a pack of 'Galaxy Ripple' chocolates, essential oils, and a notepad with the title 'Carers day out Workshop,' decorated with a paper flower on a homemade background.

A Huge Thank You

〰️

A Huge Thank You 〰️

Diagram with three cloud-shaped text bubbles connected by lines. The top bubble says 'The brilliant Admin and IT staff.' The bottom left bubble says 'The amazing Admiral nurses at Royal Derby.' The bottom right bubble says 'The Community Admiral nursing Team.'
Multiple overlapping hearts in pastel pink and purple colors.
A black background with three overlapping hearts in pastel colors: a large peach heart at the bottom, a medium green heart on the right, and a small lavender heart on the left

A huge thank you for your Dementia awareness support and training programmes.

It was a privilege to be asked to take part in the training videos and the ‘new getting to know me form’.

Patient experience week at Royal Derby Hospital

The hard-working ‘Patient experience and IT Teams’ have joined forces to make the Patient experience week at RDH, interesting and informative for all visiting the hospital.

The week focuses on ‘highlighting the impact of sharing patient experiences’ by showing a short montage of films from families who have already shared their stories. In the hope that it helps others, and that more patients, families and Carers will come forward and share theirs.

The films will be shown on the TV screens within the outpatient clinic waiting areas, during the week.