Unpaid carers are the unseen, unsung heroes in our communities. This week the Patient and Client Council published a report calledCarers’ Priorities. A list of ten priorities relating to health and social care have been identified by carers in the report. They include better community care to support carers, improved access to respite services, and more support to allow carers to carry out their caring role.
It is estimated that £4.4 billion is saved every year from the care provided by unpaid carers. This is probably a low estimate because so many people do not consider themselves as carers.
Carers say that caring for someone you love is a privilege. The service would probably collapse without this contribution. Yet many carers feel undervalued and socially isolated in their caring role. They feel there is so much more could be done to make their lives and the lives of the people they care for better.