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The Prosser Perspective.... a weekly column from Dover and Deal MP Gwyn Prosser

29 May 2008

Some of the most heartrending stories I hear at my street stalls and advice surgeries are from constituents who have taken on the un-paid role of helping and supporting a relative or friend who could not otherwise manage because of frailty, illness or disability. We call them ‘carers’ – there are over six million of them in the UK and it’s about time we provided this army of dedicated people with a lot more support.

I’m doing my bit by teaming up with the charity ambassador and acclaimed actress, Pam Ferris to help promote ‘Carers Week’ which commences on 9th June and is dedicated to a hard hitting campaign which headlines the sobering fact that ‘Carers can’t afford to be ill’. The campaign is led by Carers UK and supported by nine other charities including Macmillan Cancer Support, Help for Hospices and Caring for Carers.

If you are not one of those six million people you might be excused for believing that ‘caring’ is something that others do and put the subject to the back of your mind but none of us know when we might be thrust into this role due to circumstances beyond our control.

For instance, Elspeth was in a good job and earning nearly £30,000 a year when her otherwise fit father was suddenly struck down with a stroke which left him disabled. She felt forced into giving up her job to care for him and although she was able to take up part time employment working from home, her income was cut by two thirds, her own health began to fail and she had difficulties making ends meet. Carers UK proved a lifeline for Elspeth and now she’s helping other carer’s cope with their problems.

Carers Week is more than an opportunity to pay tribute to the huge contribution that carers make, every day of the year to those they look after and their communities – it’s also a means of exposing some of the serious difficulties that carers have to cope with.

The strain of caring, often stretching to 24 hours a day, seven days a week can, not surprisingly, have a serious impact on the carer’s own health and wellbeing. A national survey has revealed the extent of the health implications and it highlights the fact that many carers frequently neglect their own health and often have no-one to talk to about their concerns or daily difficulties. But there’s good news and help on hand if individuals find themselves feeling isolated, ill or exhausted as result of their caring responsibilities.

I hope that by drawing attention to Carers Week with Pam and a multitude of other celebrities, many more of my constituents who spend their lives looking after others will realise they are not alone and that there are people who want to care about them too – people like my friends who are organising Carers Week.

If you want more information or know someone who might benefit from support for carers telephone 0845 241 2582 or visit www.carersweek.org.