Carers play a vital role in caring for families and communities. According to Carers UK, around six and a half million people are carers, which is one in eight adults in the UK who are currently caring for a loved one. At some point in your life, you may end up becoming a carer yourself.
Sova Healthcare recognises the role that our carers play in looking after loved ones with our home care and specialist care services that we offer. Our specialist care team will put together an individual care plan that’s tailored to your loved one’s needs so that they get the best possible care.
Since Carer’s Week has already taken place from 6 to 12 June 2022, people have celebrated the contribution carers make to communities and family members. In our Carer’s Week blog, we recognise the role carers play throughout the UK, while also highlighting the challenges that individuals working in the sector face.
What is Carer’s Week?
Carer’s Week is an annual campaign to raise awareness of the role carers make to families and communities across the four nations. The campaign also highlights the challenges unpaid carers face while also helping people to identify themselves as carers so they can access much needed support.
The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the lives of unpaid carers in the UK. Many people had to take on new caring responsibilities for relatives, friends and family members who have a disability, ill-health or need support. The campaign brings carers together to make caring visible, valued and supported.
How important is it that carers look after their own health and wellbeing?
For carers, it can be difficult to prioritise your own health and wellbeing when looking after a loved one. You are committed to looking after a family member or friend so that they are happy and healthy, thus putting aside your mental and physical health. Spending so much time looking after your loved one can leave you stressed and burned out.
It’s important that full-time and unpaid carers put aside some time for self-care. There are ways that carers can look after their own health and wellbeing. Participating in your favourite hobbies, getting enough exercise and reaching out to others are just a few things you can do to destress.
By prioritising self-care, you can continue to care for your loved one while also enjoying your own hobbies.
What are the challenges carers face across the UK?
Carers across the UK face several challenges, both professionally and personally when it comes to caring for a family member or friend. If you are an unpaid carer, looking after a loved one, it can affect not just your physical health, but your mental health too. Putting your career aside to look after your loved one can leave you going through a series of emotions.
The biggest challenge carers face in the UK is loneliness and social isolation. A report from Carers UK found that more than eight in 10 carers have felt either lonely or socially isolated as a result of caring for a loved one. That figure rises up to nearly 90% (86%) for carers who spend 50 hours or more per week looking after a family member or friend.
Financial difficulties are another challenge that carers face as it can be expensive to care for your loved one. If you have left employment and become a full-time carer, it can have a big impact on your finances as you have to ensure that all your bills and essentials are paid on time.
How people have celebrated Carer’s Week 2022
People from all across the UK have come together to celebrate Carer’s Week 2022. Charities and caring providers have put on a range of activities for unpaid and full-time carers to enjoy during the week.
From accessing information on getting support to discos, barbecues and yoga classes, it’s a chance to recognise the contributions carers have made to their communities. These events are a great way of supporting carers who play a key role in ensuring that families and communities throughout the UK are cared for.
How Sova Healthcare Can Help Care For Your Loved One
If you are struggling to care for your loved one yourself due to prioritising work and other family matters, our team of carers at Sova Healthcare can help. Our live-in care service is a great option as your loved one can be cared for by an experienced carer in your own home.
For family members who are struggling to care for a loved one with a disability or injury, our complex care services are an alternative to a care home. Sova’s specialist care team will put together a plan that will ensure that your loved one gets high quality care while maintaining a good level of independence.
Carer’s Week is an opportunity to highlight the challenges full-time and unpaid carers face, while raising awareness of the caring sector. Thousands of individuals from across the country have contributed to this annual campaign by running activities while also making carers visible, valued and supported.
If you have questions about our care services we offer, which includes home and specialist care, you can contact our team of advisors today.