'We feel undervalued and forgotten about'
We're hearing this morning from an unpaid carer looking after a relative in York, as the UK marks Carers Week.
The Government's being urged to provide more support to unpaid carers in York and North Yorkshire.
It's Carers Week (7th-13th June), which is aiming to raise awareness of the sacrifices made by people in caring roles.
Debbie Johnson is from Hutton Cranswick near Driffield, and does a 60 mile round trip to care for a relative in York - who has cancer and dementia: "I do unpaid care for a relative in York 5-6 times a week.
"His dementia is progressively getting worse, and I ended up caring for him because no one else could. I gave up my job as a social worker to care for him - that's not a decision that I regret. He needed my help and I was happy to give it.
"I've been caring for him for about three and a half years. Through the pandemic it was really difficult doing that sort of travelling because I was travelling from one county to another.
"I had to get a special letter from the NHS and York Carer's Trust with permission saying I was doing an essential job - in case I was stopped by the police.
"During the height of the pandemic we were all queuing to get into the supermarket, and I wasn't entitled to go to the front of the queue because I'm an unpaid carer - that was only available to people who are paid for caring or who work in a residential home.
"Everybody is looking forward to lockdown being eased, but for the people we care for it's extremely challenging: we've got to the stage now where the people we care for have lost their confidence and self-esteem.
"They're very worried about getting it, and from a carer's point of view what happens if I get it? Who will care for the relative that I look after?
"All the respite services seemed to disappear overnight, and we had nobody who could support unpaid services to give us a break. If I was a paid carer in a residential home - and they do a fantastic job - I would have had a day off. We had nothing.
"We're on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There was nobody to help, and it was really stressful and very frustrating.
"Our anxiety levels were quite high as well, as we were worried about the future for us.
"We'd benefit from better coordinated support for unpaid carers. We all feel really undervalued.
"We feel forgotten, and we save the Government so much money a year. Please provide better support services, because without us where would our loved ones be?"
A Department for Health and Social Care spokesperson said: "Unpaid carers have played a critical role throughout the pandemic and we have supported them with guidance, funding, prioritised vaccinations and access to help, including through the Carers UK phoneline.
"At the same time, we have provided billions of pounds to support the adult care sector through this period, including over £1 billion towards the infection control fund which is being used to help day centres reopen safely and in a COVID-secure way.
"The government will publish a final report on the Carers Action Plan later this year and continue to consider the best ways to further support carers."
Background: "A final report will be produced later this year. Alongside we will consider the best next steps, to build on the work initiated through the Carers Action Plan, to support carers.
"We have supported day care services in implementing good IPC by providing them with PPE and testing.
"We have also enabled some of the money provided to local authorities through the Infection Control Fund to be used to help day care services reopen safely or be reconfigured to work in a COVID-19 secure way and worked with the Social Care Institute for Excellence to publish guidance to help make decisions on the safe continuation and re-opening of day services.
"We have ensured unpaid carers can continue to provide essential care and are exempt from rules preventing mixing with other households where they are providing care. Under the current (COVID-19) coronavirus restrictions carers can arrange for another family member or friend to provide respite care so that they can take a break where this is reasonably necessary. We have also supported the provision of respite within caring ‘bubbles’ ensuring that the COVID-19 restrictions allowed household mixing when providing care and respite for other carers."