Our new research, State of Caring 2018, paints a picture of families under immense strain and an underfunded social care system that is really taking its toll on families. The research also gives us a clear view of carers’ experiences that can be used to inform policy and practice. This year over 7000 carers and former carers completed our survey.
Only one in ten (10%) of unpaid carers feel confident that the support they receive and rely upon will continue. Half of unpaid carers (50%) said they expect their quality of life to get worse in the next 12 months.
“As we look at the future of our health and care system, it is essential that relatives and friends who are the backbone of care in the UK are identified, valued and supported without exception. More attention needs to be paid to priorities identified by carers in the State of Caring 2018 report, including the urgent need for access to affordable, high quality care services, financial support, regular breaks from caring and stronger workplace rights to support people to combine work and care if they wish to.”
Heléna Herklots, Chief Executive of Carers UK
We are hugely grateful to each and every one of you that took the time to complete the survey, enabling us to give an understanding of what it’s like to care for someone in 2018. Go to www.carersuk.org to read the report.
Source: Carers UK
