Do you care for someone?

The Northern Health and Social Care Trust is urging carers to get in touch and use the support open to them as part of carers week (9-15 June). The week highlights the vital contribution made by carers to their families and communities in providing unpaid care for someone who is ill, frail or disabled.

It is estimated that there are 207,000 carers in NI who look after a loved one who is frail, ill or disabled. 55% of carers in Northern Ireland are aged 45 or over, with 21% of carers being over 60 years old and one quarter of all carers providing more than 50 hours care per week.

Carer’s Co-ordinator for the Northern Trust, Anne Cummings said: “Many carers in the Northern Trust area suffer due to a lack of understanding about what they do – some don’t recognise themselves as carers. This has a real and negative impact on their health, finances, working and social life, and general wellbeing. The Trust supports carers through a range of services including the provision of small grants, carer support groups, additional training, carer support events and a range of written material. During Carers Week I would urge people to get in touch and avail or the support available”.

To mark Carers Week the Northern Trust will help to support carers through the events below:

• Carers Information Stand at Antrim Area Hospital – 10th June, 9am – 2pm

• Launch of Dementia Friendly Communities – 10th June, Coleraine Town Hall 12.30 – 2.30pm

• Carers Coffee Afternoon at at Sainsburys Carrickfergus – 11th June, 2 – 4pm

• Carers Coffee Morning – 12th June, Sainsburys Coleraine, 10am – 12pm

• Carers Information Stand – 13th June, Sainsburys Carrickfergus, 2pm – 9pm

• Carers Information Stand – 14th and 15th June, Sainsburys Carrickfergus and Coleraine, 9am – 5pm

Research carried out by Carers Northern Ireland and the University of Leeds found that family carers are saving the government an estimated £4.4 Billion in Northern Ireland per year. This works out at on average £21,000 per carer per year. (£110 b in the whole of the UK)

For more information about Northern Trust resources for Carers, or the events above, contact Anne Cummings on 028 2766 1392 or email anne.cummings@northerntrust.hscni.net.

2nd June 2014