Lottery of support is damaging for carers
Two-thirds (65%) of carers say one or more of the services in their local area is not carer-friendly as it fails to recognise and support them in their caring role. Six in ten (61%) say this lack of support is having a negative impact on their health, while two-thirds (65%) say it has made it more difficult to look after the person they are caring for:
The support carers get from their community and local services varies greatly throughout the country, as the research for Carers Week shows:
- 39% of carers say their local high street is not carer-friendly in terms of layout, shops, parking and public toilets - yet 20% say that it is.
- 25% of carers say their hospital is not carer-friendly, but 36% say it is.
- 20% of carers say their GP practice is not carer-friendly, however 56% say it is.
Call for more 'carer-friendly communities'
This lottery of local support has driven the six charities behind Carers Week to call on individuals, organisations and services to build more 'carer-friendly communities' to improve the lives of local carers.
Comment from the Chief Executive of Carer's Trust
Gail Scott-Spicer, chief executive of Carers Trust said: “Three in five of us will become carers at some point in our lives. It’s rarely something you can plan for, but by building more carer-friendly communities we can help to recognise and support the needs of millions of unpaid carers who are already caring for sick or disabled family or friends.”
Comment from the Carers Week Manager
Carers Week Manager, Diana Walles, said: “It can make a huge difference to the lives of carers when they are supported by their local services and communities; whether it is a GP surgery being more flexible with their appointment times, employers creating and implementing carer-friendly policies, or a local supermarket training their staff to better identify hidden carers and signpost them to information about support services in the local area.
“Despite this, the variation in the quality of carer-friendly services across the country is putting the health of carers, and their ability to support the people they care for, at risk. This Carers Week, we’re trying to change this reality. We’re calling on individuals and organisations to think about what they can do to improve the lives of carers in their community.”
Source: Carers Trust press release: Lottery of support proves damaging to carers
Turn2us resources
If you are a carer struggling to make ends meet, use our Benefits Calculator to check your entitlement to benefits and our Grants Search to see if you are eligible for help from a charitable fund, based on your personal background, circumstances and needs.
The Turn2us Your Situation online section contains resources on benefits, grants and managing money, including useful links sheets and a Find an Adviser tool to help you find national and local sources of further help.
Also in the news
Funeral poverty
The Guardian: Too poor to die: how funeral poverty is surging in the UK
Social care
The Guardian: £1bn further cuts to social care will hit tens of thousands, say experts
Date of publication: 11 June 2015