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A SURVEY OF members of the Carers Association of Ireland has found that almost half of respondents suffered a health problem themselves.
The online survey carried out between October 31 and November 2 found that of 121 respondents, 26.7 per cent of them rated their stress levels at 5 (on a scale of 1 to 5, five being highly stressed). Almost half of respondents (45.8 per cent) rated their stress levels at 4, while 22.5 per cent gave themselves a stress rating of 3.
Three-quarters of those surveyed said they were more stressed than they were 12 months ago and almost half were too embarrassed to admit that they suffered stress. Only one in five said they got the recommended 7-8 hours of sleep every night.
On top of that, just over 50 per cent of those surveyed said they suffered from a specified illness – 62.3 per cent were “worried” about their health.
The survey, carried out by HSF Health Plan providers, also found that almost 30 per cent of carers have no support in helping to share the care burden while 40 per cent had a family member, other than the person being cared for, living with them. Only one-fifth had access to a nurse or home help.
The survey reported: “Socialising or holidays are infrequent for carers with 59.5 per cent having no holiday in the past 12 months. Only 19 per cent manage to socialise outside the home once a week or more and 20 per cent said that they never or rarely socialise outside the house.”
Catherine Cox of the Carers’ Association said that the survey reflected the anecdotal evidence her organisation received at their centres:
They are stressed, isolated and many are suffering from exhaustion from the burden of their caring roles. Carers often ignore their own health and wellbeing because their focus is on their loved ones who require care.
The Carers’ Association has a number of drop-in centres which offer support, as well as a number of outreach projects co-ordinated by its national office in Tullamore, Co Offaly. There is a freephone national care line on 1800 24 07 24.
In their pre-Budget 2013 submission, the Association appealed that the Government not reduce the half-rate carers’ allowance but rather recognises it “as a direct support for caring duties”. The group said that family carers provide €4 billion worth of care each year – equivalent to one third of the total annual cost of the HSE, and five times the cost of carers’ allowances to the Department of Social Protection (€878 million).
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And what do we see this Government do to help them? Cut Home Helpsthats what! Pileing more stress and presure on these people. Who get 20 eruro more then the Dole per week. 191,000 people are carers saving the state over 4 billiona year, And remember over 4300 of these are children. We should be ashamed and this Government are a National disgrace.
sorry michael, hit the wrong button, couldnt agee more
Home carers are heroes in their own right and the state gives them nothing, it’s disgusting to see massive govt pensions while carer benefits are cut..
‘Nothing…’ Sorry but from where I stand they seems to be receiving a package of benefits that’s the most generous the world over.
Granted to say I’d prefer to see them get more and people on the dole who have made a conscious choice not to work less…
But to say the state gives them nothing is total crap
I can tell you have never been on carers allowance. Or been a full-time carers on carers allowance. Andrew Telford. Carers save the state 4.2 billion a years And many work more hours in a week then you do in two week. Many carers work 24/7 with monitor and alarm to wake them up if something happens? And if you think the Household package make up for that. You are dillusional.
I love the way we can just make up figures to support our argument, it’s almost as fun as claiming something is nothing… Just so you you now I personally save the governement 5 trillion, and not only do I get ‘nothing’ I pay them for the privilege…
Given that most carers work a minimum of 12 hours a day and currently get €204 on Carers Allowance per week that means they get paid €2,42 per hour – you could hardly say their services are valued by the state,
The Figure are from the CSO of the Irish government and can also be check with the Carers assoc. If you care to bother.
The difference between our made up figure and Andrews is that ours isn’t made up.
Couldn’t agree more micheal, I got about 5 hrs sleep last night, 3 seizures from the little one, as for holidays…. Try 6 yrs, had a wedding a few weeks ago was gone for 8hrs that’s all the help we got. I’ve had a cold for 3 weeks as well. Ah we’ll it was my choice to give up work and care for my daughter, who am I to moan about it!
I an carer for my mother with dementia. Frankly, I think you are all missing the point. Carers suffer isolation which in turn causes stress which causes ill health. Carers would welcome some support from not just the state from society at large. The lack of financial support is only one aspect. If a parent like the gentleman above gives up his employment to take care of his daughter gets very little sleep, no holidays no social outing no amount of govt money will support him. Society needs a change of attitude and change of heart take some responsibility go visit and support him today. Stop expecting politicians to ease the pain go share it. Be a decent neighbour look around open your eyes and heart help.
A good friend of mine is a carer for two of her children who have autism. One of them also has seriously challenging behaviour. There is no doubt in my mind that she is very stressed. I don’t think she realises it herself but she really has to be because there really is little time for her to switch off from
Having to be constantly on the alert. When I visit, she’ll make tea but more often than not she won’t get to finish hers because she has to attend to one of the kids every few minutes.
I can identify with all the points in the article. I’ve known my friend for about ten years, she has never had a holiday in that time.
I love visiting her, she is great fun to be around, we have good chats and a good laugh about all sorts of things. She completely accepts her kids and loves them as they are. The biggest stress in her life is dealing with the “system”, the red tape, trying to gain access to certain services.
I have no idea what she gets in her carer’s allowance or any other allowance for that matter, I only know that I do not begrudge her a cent of it. Anyone who is worried that she might manage to live the high life on what she is paid need not worry for a minute…..that won’t happen!
The many people in the country who are caring for their families in this way need to be looked after
Well because believe me if anything happens to this lady, the cost to the state of providing the care needed by her children will far exceed whatever she’s getting.
They’re going to regret that survey.
The ‘squeeze every last penny’ committee will get wind and only make things harder..
Andrew, you too are making up your information. We are FAR from the most generous to our home carers
I can understand where carers are coming from. As i was one for 15 years. And a lose of income and entiltements have happened allready. But the worse than that is to lose home helps to carers. This could lead to ill health of the carer. Is this what people want?
Everyone who is working now is experiencing the same…chin up…
But at least people in work can leave work every evening and have their weekends & holidays off. Carers are on duty 24/7, 356 days a year.
What an ignorant response!!
Everyone has a choice to stay or “go”…
I suppose some people are willing to DUMP there kids, parents and love ones Peter. But some people understand what Love and compassion is.
“Go” where? What happens to all the people who the Carers are caring for? Are you willing to have your wages docked to cover the €Billions that it will cost the government to provide full-time care for them?
Sure every one has a choice to stay or go. So which of your loved ones would you choose to ditch when the going gets tough, Pete? Partner? Kids?
Clueless and callous.
Andrew. Let’s hope you don’t have to look after anyone. Our Family were left to look after my late Father in Law, they brought him home form hospital and Nurse showed his daughters how to work the Catheter, but no one said that we would have to clean him. and spend all our hours minding jhim, watching him cleaning the pooh of him.We did not have carer. Carers and hme help are doing a fantastic job in this society and as someone else said they are save this state millions upon millions.
Home Help is not available. We have an aging population in need of help. Paying a stressed out carer is not the longterm solution. Social change at community level only way forward. Parents of young children could set good example by supporting other parents with their caring needs. Begin a process of change. Learn to care its what we will all need in our lives.
I recieved home help for the last few weeks of my mother life as she fought cancer. i can only speak from my experence. And the Home helps were Life line for me. At the moment everybody now Home Help are been cut. And this is wrong. simple as that.
I used to be a home care assistant working with older people with dementia and middle aged people with various disabilities. A lot of my clients had either ultra stressed primary carers or very little contact with the world other than me. Toward the end many of them had their packages hacked away to nothing, it was a nightmare getting aids like wheelchair transfer boards and the HSE waste was incredible with them refusing to reuse crutches, wheelchairs etc. I agree wholeheartedly with Antoinette and cannot fathom what kind of person would red thumb her comment.
Not shown up on my phone ? Saying 16 comments only 15 were there must have blocked myself lol
my father was put in nursing home as home care was cut to 2 half hour visits, dementia, in a wheel chair, incontenent and one person caring for him 7 days , 7 nights for last 5 years, he crys every day wants to go home, but with no care available anymore, one hour per morning monday to fri, to get him up showered and dressed , breakfast, thats what our country has come to, now 2 weeks in nursing home, his confused, forgetting who his family is, they dont get him up on his feet as cant, and we could at home, and he has a cough that wont go away, and a dr prescribing wrong medicine,, and his 30 miles away on top of it all,,, sad to say at least he can be washed and changed in a safe environment, but thats all he has, he has no family, no familiar faces or friends to visit him,, and his doctor in another town,,, god bless austerity, just dont get old,, shoot yourself first
Where’s my comment gone , you leave worse comments omg free speech had gone out the window Also
What comment Aisling?
Your reply to Peter is there. No comment of yours has been removed.
@ Peter I hope u never have a illness where you need someone to look after you 24/7 because with an attitude like that it seems it will be the state that will look after you , because if I was your child with ignorance like that I would run a mile at the first sign of sniffle
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