Carers Rights Day is a National Awareness Day held each year by Carers UK. Organisations are encouraged to come together to help local carers understand their rights and how to access services and support.
There are currently 7 million carers across the UK saving the government £132 billion a year in care costs (Carers UK). Carers Trust estimates that 3 in 5 of us will be carers at some point in our lives, yet many carers aren’t even aware that they provide a caring role or that there is support available to them. Having the right information at the right time can make a crucial difference to carers, helping them to cope better with the demands of their caring role and so maintain their own health and wellbeing. Providing straightforward information and access to support is key to helping those carers who struggle to navigate the system, and miss out on financial and practical support as a result.
One of the biggest barriers to accessing support is the ever-increasing use of technology to carry out everyday tasks. For those who use it, the range of services modern technology provides has revolutionised the way we live our lives. For others though, embracing technology can be a daunting prospect, so this year Richmond Carers Centre has developed a simple Caring and Technology Guide to help carers who struggle with new and changing technologies. It includes information on different types of technology, examples of how it can be implemented to support different caring situations and contact details for local organisations that can assist carers in identifying and acquiring the right technology for them.
Carers Rights day also is about raising public and professional awareness of carers’ needs so that we can create a society that respects, values and supports carers.
If you think that you or someone you know may be an unpaid carer you can call Richmond Carers support line on 020 8867 2380, email info@richmondcarers.org or visit our website www.richmondcarers.org
