Steve Ford: Forgotten army of carers who need to get back their life

WORKING without pay and often with little recognition, many carers give up their lives as they once knew them.

In fact, four out of five carers in Yorkshire and Humber looking after an ill, frail or disabled loved one believe they don't have a life outside their caring role. This was just one of the worrying outcomes from a survey carried out for Carers Week, which begins today.

The results show that huge numbers of carers are left isolated and lonely, missing out on opportunities that the rest of the population takes for granted. For example, 77 per cent say they have lost touch with family and friends due to the social obstacles that come with the role. But they never give up on caring.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

In Yorkshire and Humber, there are over 500,000 carers, with more than a fifth of these spending more than 50 hours a week caring for someone. Many people may not even recognise themselves as a carer. But any person who looks after a loved one full-time is fulfilling this incredibly challenging vocation – and they deserve full recognition and support for the amazing work they do.

That's why this year we have a number of events taking place across the region, to ensure that all carers know they are not alone, and that help and services are available. And at Parkinson's UK, we're calling for major changes to help give carers a life of their own.

Overall, the unpaid care that carers provide is estimated to save the UK 87bn a year – the equivalent to a second NHS. But despite the increased awareness of the true cost of caring, carers still get the lowest income replacement benefit, at just 53.90 per week. It therefore seems a false economy to rely on carers to give up their jobs and save society billions in caring costs – only to offer little in return to help them sustain their caring role.

We recently found that seven out of ten carers were not even aware they were entitled to an assessment of their own needs by their local social services. We feel this is unacceptable, given that carers have a legal right to an assessment if they care for someone for "a substantial amount of time on a regular basis" or intend to look after someone, for example when they come out of hospital.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

There are 120,000 people with Parkinson's in the UK – 10,000 of whom live in Yorkshire and Humber. Parkinson's is a long-term neurological condition for which there is no known cure. As the condition advances, it has a major impact on the quality of life for both the person with Parkinson's and those caring for them.

Parkinson's UK provides support and research to people with the condition. Because we're here, no one has to face Parkinson's alone. In fact, it was a carer that founded the charity in 1969. Mali Jenkins cared for her sister, Milda, who had Parkinson's, and wanted to establish a support network for anyone affected by the condition.

Our website and free confidential helpline offers advice and support on how to get an assessment of your carer needs. We also publish a range of guides that are free to order or download from our website, including our popular carer's guide.

We also have information and support staff across the region that can provide one-to-one advice and emotional support and in Yorkshire and Humber there are more than 20 branches and support groups led by volunteers.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

And while we're working hard to find a cure for Parkinson's,

and funding specialist nurses to help people manage their condition, we're also busy campaigning to demand better health and social care services.

Despite more attention being paid to carers' issues in recent years, charities recently claimed that three-quarters of Government cash intended to help the NHS fund carers' respite had disappeared elsewhere.

Carers Week is a real opportunity to reach out to the unsung army of carers and show them our support. It's a chance to call for access to relevant and practical information for carers, the opportunity to take a break when they need it and to ensure that all carers are offered support in times of crisis.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Carers are not the forgotten few, but the forgotten millions. This Carers Week, let's speak up for carers. Let's not leave them isolated and financially, physically and emotionally broke. Let's repay all the hard work that carers do – and give them back a life of their own.

www.carersweek.org

Steve Ford is chief executive of Parkinson's UK