Warning as older carers hit by health problems

A study by the Princess Royal Trust for Carers found that nearly 70 per cent of the over-60s looking after loved ones said serving as a carer had caused problems with their own health.

Just over one in three said they had cancelled a medical treatment or operation because of their duties, and more than 49 per cent said their health had got worse in the past year.

In total 639 carers aged 60 to 94 were surveyed, two-thirds of whom said they had health problems or a disability themselves and only of whom half felt confident lifting the person they care for.

There was also a toll on mental health, with 68.8 per cent of those polled saying being a carer had damaged their psychological well being, and 42.9 per cent reporting that their mental health had deteriorated in the past year.

The trust wants GPs to give health checks and depression screening to carers once a year, and home visits should they need them because of their responsibilities.

It recommends that carers should be provided with training and equipment for lifting if required and that their breaks should be funded by the health service and local council.

It is supported by actress Dame Judi Dench who said: “Having been a carer myself, I understand the stresses and strains involved in looking after a loved one.

“There are many, many older carers around the country doing tremendous work looking after their family or friends but it’s often at a cost to the carer’s own health and well-being, as shown by this report from the Princess Royal Trust for Carers. Carers already save our economy billions and they need more support to enable them to continue in their caring role.”

Liz Fenton, chief executive at the Princess Royal Trust for Carers said: “The survey clearly shows how carers can harm their own health when looking after others.

“Many carers told us about being in severe pain, with crumbling spines, arthritis, back problems, cancer, kidney problems, depression and heart problems but struggling on in their caring role.

The Princess Royal Trust for Carers is calling for easily accessible, comparatively low cost preventative services at local level which can improve the lives of carers.

“This will enable people to choose to be cared for longer at home and ultimately save public money,” she added.

The Department of Health said work was under way to address the concerns locally, but admitted more needed to be done to meet the needs of older carers.

A Department spokesman said: “The Government wants to give people more control over their health and social care, and we are clear that an increase in the uptake of personal budgets for frail older people and their carers is critical and will enable them to make decisions about how their care and support needs are best met.

“The Department has invested in a number of local sites exploring different ways of providing breaks for carers, health and well-being checks for carers, and ways in which the NHS can better support carers with more flexible appointment times, better hospital discharge arrangements and better care planning – and an evaluation will be published later this year.”

Many local authorities have been increasing the charges they make to those who require professional assistance to remain living as independently as possible, because their own budgets have been cut by the Government, raising the prospect that some may cancel or reduce the amount of help they get because of concerns over the spiralling cost.

That could leave unpaid relatives or other carers with an even greater burden in some circumstances.

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