Crisis for unpaid carers

More than 35% of unpaid people caring for family members or friends feel they are worn out and are struggling to manage their caring role, after an extraordinarily challenging year having to provide many more hours of care during the pandemic and reduced support from health and care services.

The support that they were receiving before the pandemic has all but dried up and they are seriously worried that it will not be re-instated in the future.

Carers Week

Research released for Carers Week in June found that carers lost an average of 25 hours of support a month they previously had from services or family and friends before the pandemic. Three-quarters of carers have not had any breaks from their caring role at all and are exhausted. A third say they cannot carry on and are seriously considering putting their loved ones into a home.

The six charities supporting Carers Week are calling on the Government to provide £1.2 billion funding for unpaid carers’ breaks so that those providing upwards of 50 hours of care are able to take time off for their own health and wellbeing.

Helen Walker, Chief Executive of Carers UK said “Unpaid carers have sacrificed their physical and mental health over the last year.  It is essential that the Government ensures that these carers are provided with the necessary funding so they can take regular breaks”. It is now critical that support for the army of unpaid carers must be added to the heart of social care reform.

Can we help

This research is very alarming but we have some capacity to ease the burden of unpaid carers. I appreciate there is a cost but not as much as you think.