Carers and Families are in it Together – Carers Week 2011

This article comes from Carers in Hampshire a few years ago.

A carer is ……………

not paid
not chosen
not elected
not useless
not amateur
not ignorant
not incapable
not appointed
not uneducated
not unprofessional
not unable to think
not unable to speak
not lacking in skills
not in need of charity
not in need of a hair-do
not there to be patronised
not able to live a ‘normal life’
not always recognised by themselves
not free to do what they want when they want
not always treated well by statutory organisations
not always consulted by statutory and voluntary organisations
not always appreciated by the person they care for or by others
not always recognised by social, healthcare or voluntary workers
not accepted as capable by some social, health or voluntary workers
not respected / considered by some social, health and voluntary workers

Just because carers find themselves in a caring role, it does not mean

CARERS ARE COLLAPSING FROM STRESS

CARERS are becoming physically and mentally ill as they struggle to look after loved ones, a report reveals.

Carers Week 2011 said 75 per cent had suffered ill health as a result of their work. Of these, 76 per cent had mental health problems, mainly depression, anxiety and stress.

Nearly half (49 per cent) had a disability or illness. Of those, 26 per cent are physically disabled and 47 per cent have mental health problems.

READ IN FULL HERE

Army of ‘grey carers’ grows to record 1.2million

A record number of pensioners are devoting their retirement to looking after elderly relatives.

The army of ‘grey carers’ has soared to nearly 1.2million, up 15 per cent in a decade, reveal figures from Carers UK and academics.

These over-65s are spending what should be their own golden years looking after parents, relatives or partners who are increasingly living into their 80s and 90s.

READ IN FULL HERE

The future is happening right now – Who cares?

People are being urged to look out for their neighbours after the tragic death of a woman in Norwich whose body may have lain undiscovered for several weeks.

Dawn Sword, 70, is thought to have died “a considerable time” before police broke into her terraced house and discovered her body on June 4, an inquest heard yesterday .

The inquest was told that neighbours in Branford Road, off Sprowston Road, finally alerted police after growing concerned about her welfare.

READ IN FULL HERE

Walsall widow ‘targeted’ by son’s £4k social care bill

An 84-year-old widow from the West Midlands said she was “disgusted” she had been given a £4,700 bill by the council to care for her disabled son.

Lillian Henderson helps care for her son Ian who had a stroke 13 years ago and has 10 hours’ paid care per week.

Their income has not changed but they have been asked to make contributions.

Walsall Council said it had brought in a new charging policy. It has to save £7m in the next 12 months but said care for vulnerable adults would not be cut.

Mrs Henderson has health problems herself and until last year her son Ian received income support and now receives disability benefits.

READ IN FULL HERE – BBC NEWS