Unpaid Wiltshire carers at breaking point, working 50 hour weeks
A Carer Support Wiltshire survey found many are 'always stressed'
More than half of carers in Wiltshire are dedicating more than 50 hours a week to caring for their loved ones, a local charity survey has found.
Carer Support Wiltshire (CSW) revealed 98% of respondents feel constantly stressed, with 9 in 10 saying they're mentally exhausted.
And the overwhelming response was the need for better, easier access to respite for carers.
Director of Services for the charity, Marco van-Tintelen, said the findings weren't a shock to them.
"More and more, we see that there is a reliability on the unpaid caring role inside the family or the caring units because of the restriction or lack of other service provisions," said Marco.
He added that it's "very concerning", saying: "There's a lot of detrimental impact on the carer, when they have to spend probably every three minute of their day caring for a loved one."
Carers carry out duties that include helping someone get dressed, cooking a meal or giving medicine. But they also do other essential jobs, like shopping, cleaning and organising finances.
40% of carers said they felt they'd lost control of their life, with 67% saying their care responsibilities limited the choices they could make in their lives.
Marco told Greatest Hits Radio there are major concerns over carers mental health, but support services are reaching capacity.
He said: "We have seen a significant increase in not just the hours that carers are doing, but also the amount of people that who actually are caring."
Marco said it was a "cycle", with the raised awareness of unpaid caring and what it's all about leading to more people realising they are a carer and coming forward for help.
He's called for a better infrastructure for people to access that support, but says it won't be easy.
"Traditionally is very difficult to have that reliance on a statutory body and it has to be very much a collaborative approach to at least try to make something work better."
Carer Support Wiltshire give carers respite through work in the communities.
Their 'Carer Cafe's' offer peer-to-peer support, allowing carers to realise they're not isolated and it's something the charity are looking to increase.
They're exploring café events specific to mental health and other groups for those new to their role, about the more technical aspects of caring such as benefits, entitlements and practical things.
Leanne Hubbard, CSW Chief Executive explained further about what they're trying to do to help carers.
"We are running a new series of workshops from April onwards covering topics such as wellbeing, new to caring and end of caring, and we are working with organisations such as Mind and Olive Tree Counselling to increase the support we’re offering.
"As part of the carer poverty coalition, we are campaigning for the Government to provide targeted support to unpaid carers by reforming the benefits system to better support carers, raising the level of Carer’s Allowance and increasing the earnings limit."