Last week was carers’ week – and all week I thought about those who, locked into caring responsibilities, may not have even known that it existed. Don’t get me wrong – I am glad that there is some recognition of carers; just that the physical and emotional work is ongoing.
Let me give an example, a carer recently explained how cuts in services in her area, now require service users to identify and source their own social activities. Therefore, in order for her adult son with physical and learning disabilities to have any external stimulus, she now has to undertake research, contact and visit possible places, while still undertaking all the care responsibilities she has held for more than 40 years.
The effects of ongoing cuts to services impact heavily on service users, but it also places greater expectation on carers. Seeing someone you care for in pain or confusion is always hard, but adding isolation to the mix is yet another stress. So, carers week may have ended, but the care needed and care given continue.
