‘I didn’t sleep for 42 hours’
Government told to give workers paid leave to help loved ones
The Government has been told to do more to support carers who have jobs outside the home.
It is estimated that unpaid carers save the British economy £87 billion a year in potential care costs – but they are not eligible for paid leave from work to take their loved ones to scheduled hospital appointments or planned appointments with their doctors.
‘Carer support charities are indispensable’
Dr Dan Poulter
Last week in Parliament I hosted an event to launch a campaign to raise awareness about child carers.
Honeypot, a children’s charity which gives respite care for carers aged five to 12, launched their campaign For Children Who Care to encourage MPs to recognise the challenges faced by young carers and to raise awareness of the need for respite care and to support organisations such as Honeypot.
Honeypot is the only UK charity providing consistent and regular support to young carers between the ages of five and 12.
Young carers face significant responsibilities and often find it difficult to relate to their peers, concentrate in school and play with their friends.
Honeypot offers these children a safe place where they can simply be children, in a supportive, safe environment.
New scheme to benefit hundreds of unpaid carers in Norwich and South Norfolk
Hundreds of unpaid carers are to benefit from a pilot scheme that aims to provide them with individual support in their own homes.
Community care coaches, Bev Bond (left) and Carolyn Allen (right).
It will see carers in Norwich and South Norfolk receive one-to-one coaching in order to give them more confidence to look after an older person.
The free programme, which is being delivered by the Carers Agency Partnership (CAP), is available to people who care for someone over the age of 65 in their own home.
And people are now being invited to register with the scheme.
Kevin Vaughan, CAP manager, said: “Carers often tell us that they feel thrown in the deep end when it comes to looking after an elderly relative or friend at home.
