Tag Archives: carers
Walk to honour Sunderland’s carers
The Mayor of Sunderland Coun. Bob Heron officially starts the Walk in Celebration of Carers at Herrington Country Park, on Friday.
by Sue Kirby
sue.kirby@northeast-press.co.uk
PEOPLE from across Wearside took a walk in the park in honour of carers.
Herrington Country Park hosted The Walk in Celebration of Carers, which was officially started by the Mayor of Sunderland Councillor Bob Heron.
People with learning disabilities and carers walked a one-mile route to recognise and celebrate the important role played by the 32,500 carers across Sunderland, who look after ill and disabled family members or friends.
The walk was organised by Washington Multi-Purpose Centre, part of Sunderland City Council’s Health, Housing and Adult Services, to link in with National Carers Week, and was supported by Sunderland Carers’ Centre and Asda.
Coun Heron said: “It is an honour and a privilege to be part of this celebration of caring in Sunderland.
“Caring can be anything from a full-time commitment to spending a couple of hours a week looking after others, helping them have a better quality of life.
CQC: Hunt urges calls for serious action if cover-up proved
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has said there should be “very, very serious consequences” for anyone found guilty of a cover-up at the Care Quality Commission.
He said he would support disciplinary action if allegations against individuals are proved.
Mr Hunt said the healthcare regulator for England was “fundamentally flawed” when it was set up four years ago.
But he backed the new management team now running the CQC.
However, Amanda Pollard, a former CQC inspector who left after she became disillusioned, warns there may be more scandals ahead.
Home carers save the county £164m
THE BOROUGH’s growing army of unpaid carers are saving the county’s social care sector an estimated £164million a year but are being left to struggle with little or no support or financial help.
According to expert analysis the 8,889 people across the borough caring for a loved one save the public purse an average of £18,473 a year each in care which would otherwise have to be provided by the state at a cost of £18 an hour.
More than 2,000 of those are providing over 50 hours of unpaid care a week.
Figures from the 2011 census show in the last ten years the number of unpaid carers in the borough has grown by over 1,000 but charities warn the actual figure is likely to be much higher as many people do not class themselves as carers and consider caring for a loved one just part of their family duty.
The biggest increase is in the number of people aged 65 and over now classing themselves as carers which has grown by 60 per cent since 2001 to 1,762 – reflecting the borough’s ageing population and increase in conditions such as dementia.
But in return for their contribution the amount available in carer’s allowance is just £59.75 a week – or £3,107 a year – and it is only available to people aged 16 and over and who spend at least 35 hours a week caring for their loved one.
