Carers celebrated – but not remunerated

Tower Hamlets is celebrating the end of a successful Carers Week, during which various groups across the borough have been raising awareness of what carers have to do and what services are available to support them. This year there was a particular emphasis on acknowledging that carers are often selfless in the support they give the person they are caring for – but they are also individuals with their own needs.

The Council has conducted a survey of almost 300 people on their experiences of being a carer.  The results showed: 32% of carers who have received support over the last year are extremely or very satisfied with the support they or the person they care for receives, with 37% quite satisfied; 34% said they have a good quality of life; more than half of the carers surveyed said they do not have enough time to do the things they value or enjoy or have enough social contact.

Dorne Kanareck, Interim Service Head for Commissioning and Health at Tower Hamlets Council, said: “The questionnaire has provided us with information on where things are going well for carers and where things need to improve. […] we have used this information to draw up a ‘Carer Plan’, setting out how we will support carers aged 18 and over throughout the next year. The plan will introduce a number of changes, many of which have been introduced nationally through the 2014 Care Act.”

These changes are set to include:
•providing carers with useful information and advice that is easy to find;
•ensuring carers who need support are offered a carer assessment that will look specifically at what the carer is going through and what help they may need;
•ensuring both young and adult carers get the support they need;
•increasing the number of ways in which the Council can help carers.

ELN says: The Council is clearly doing all it can to support carers: however, caring work tends to be done by women (though there are many men past retirement age caring for wives and partners too) and it is, probably as a result, seriously undervalued. If an elderly or infirm person is cared for by the state, those giving the care receive proper (though probably low!) wages. If a similar person is cared for by a relative, that care-giver does not receive wages – or National Insurance contributions, or a chance to build up a pension. Now that more government money is going into childcare, which has helped women become more independent – perhaps now is the time to pick up and promote once more the principle that those who give care at home (as opposed to in institutions) should also be paid.

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•The Black Women’s Health Family Support (BWHFS) offers support to carers. For more information on the activities at the BWHFS offices contact Nimo Mohamed on 020 8980 3503 or email: nimo.mohamed@bwhafs.com

•For information on dementia support contact the Alzheimer’s Society on 020-8121 5626, towerhamlets@alzheimers.org.uk or go to: www.alzheimers.org.uk

•The Carers Centre provides a range of information, advice and support to carers in Tower Hamlets. Contact them on 020-7790 1765.

•Any carer experiencing a serious or urgent situation needing immediate assistance should contact Tower Hamlets Council Adult Social Care on 020-7364 5005.

•For more information on carers support in Tower Hamlets, go to: www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/lgsl/151-200/162_support_for_carers.aspx