Carers
News
Comment: long-awaited help for informal carers
Owain Wright, head of Saga's care funding service, is pleased that the Government is at last promising extra money for carers, but insists this is still the tip of a very deep iceberg:
Wait ages for a bus and then two turn up at once is a much-used saying, but with good reason. It is so often true.
Britain's huge army of unpaid, unrewarded and largely unrecognised informal carers will doubtless be thinking along these lines today.
After a very long period during which the plight of the informal carer has been pretty much ignored, not one but two significant and beneficial initiatives arrived on exactly the same day.
The Government is to provide an extra £150m over the next two years in order to support informal carers. In particular, the new investment is intended to double the number of carers who take a well-earned break from their daily duties.
And, on exactly the same day, Saga launched the Saga Respite for Carers Trust which will cover the cost of holidays for carers who care selflessly every day for their loved ones.
Saga is the first to admit that much work remains to be done to ensure that carers receive the help and recognition that they deserve, but the longest journey begins with the first step.
Saga Respite for Carers Trust:
* For more on care and caring see www.saga.co.uk/health/carers
* Do you know someone who deserves a holiday? If you, or someone you know, care for another and deserve a real break, we would like to hear about it. Please click here to fill in the nomination form.
Saga links:
Saga Magazine:
Saga Zone Carers' Forum:
Information on this site is for interest only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should consult your own doctor about any specific health concerns.
