Some facts about carers and caring - taken from the Carers UK "State of Caring" survey 2019

 

• It is estimated that 8.8 people are now unpaid family carers, compared with 6.3 million recorded by the 2011 census.
• Carers save the country £132bn per year, more than it costs to run the NHS.
• Three in five people will become carers at some point in their lives
• Every day 6000 people take on a caring role.

 

On average, it takes two to three years for a person to realise they are a carer. In many cases, there is a gradual increase in the amount of caring that a person does and it is considered to be a part of life, what one does - it’s natural to want to look after and care for the other person. It may be only when the amount of care becomes more substantial that that person realises they are a carer. In the meantime, they may have missed out on benefits and other forms of assistance that are available.

For others, such as in the case of someone looking after a stroke victim or someone who has had an accident, the change might be quite sudden and life is suddenly turned upside down.

 

The highs and lows of caring

Providing care and support to a loved one can be immensely rewarding but it can also take it’s toll on the carer. If you are a carer, it’s likely you may experience or feel:

• fatigue and lack of energy
• isolation
• depression
• financial pressures
• ill-health
• difficulty finding the right information
• if you live in a rural area, you may also find it difficult to access shops and services because of lack of transport or time needed for travel.