In my last column I spoke about how covid has shone a light on different issues, sometimes raising more questions than answers for me.

One area is unpaid carers who often don't identify as a carer. Now this could be a family member, partner friend or a neighbour.

Carers Trust Scotland recently reported that there are an estimated 690,000 carers in Scotland today, including 29,000 young carers under the age of 18.

Charities are working to support young carers, as they are still at school or in further education – no matter what age carers are, they go above and beyond, especially over the past two years.

Often carers do not get a break because they are usually caring 24/7.

What people don't talk about is who cares for carers: what happen if carers take ill, who is there to look after them and the person they are giving support to?

Often unpaid carers are worried about who will be there supporting them.

Even before covid they had been struggling.

One carer said to me: “If I was ill there is no time to put an emergency plan in place."

Another carer said: “The way I get some respite is when the day centre is open, but they have been mostly shut for two years because of the pandemic."

I think there should be centres open to give carers some time on their own.

Recently, talking and listening to carers of many years, I believe they have been in crisis for a long time.

This should be a concern as we need to look after people's mental and physical health, supporting them to not take on too much responsibility on their own.

Every year in June we have Carers Awareness Week to highlight the good work carers do. It should not take one week in the year – every day of every week we should highlight that we value them and the work they do.

There is a lot of food for thought when we eventually come out of this pandemic.

As restrictions ease further from March, particularly lifting the rules on mandatory face coverings in public places and transport, many carers have serious concerns for both the mental and physical wellbeing of those they support.

We should listen more to lived experiences of unpaid carers.

But the big question is how best to provide a structure of support. We just can't ignore them.

It is disappointing that we are still talking about these issues today.

Charities and support organisations need to work together to support the carers, also the person that they are supporting , to fulfil basic human rights.

 

Michael McEwan is a freelance journalist and Chair of Disability Action ER (East Renfrewshire)  

 

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