Three quarters of carers struggling with mental and physical health problems

More needs to be done to support unpaid carers, after a new report found almost three quarters of them have struggled with their mental health since taking on a caring role.

Research from the Carers Trust revealed most carers have felt either mentally or physically ill as a result of their care work.

Young adult carers (those aged 18-24) were most likely to say they had suffered mental ill health as a result of caring.

When asked about the future, 58% of carers said their own physical health would suffer as a result of the job, while those who were struggling to make ends meet were most likely to say they thought their health would worsen over time.

Ken cares for his 12-year-old son Cameron:

"I did have feelings of being really down and just pack up and forget it all. If the Carers Centre hadn't been there, I would have done it.

"My disability starting getting worse, I've got arthritis all down my chest and back and now I've got heart problems and angina, things like that. I was finding it was starting to get stressful for me.

"For myself, getting respite or relaxation is ideal for me. When Cameron comes to the centre, I come and there's coffee mornings which are great. When I first moved here, I wasn't getting any of that.

"Caring is fun, don't get me wrong, it can be fun but it can also be stressful at times. I've got to think of my health, which I didn't at the time. In a few years time, I live in hope."

Local care centres, which offer support to carers, are urging people to get in touch if they're struggling.

Duncan Campbell works at the Blackpool Carers Centre:

"The parents we have, there's a lot of stigma attached to the role because, unfortunately, a lot of people don't understand what they've got to do. Here we don't finger point, it's somewhere they can come and enjoy things as a family.

"They can come here for an hour or two in a day where they can switch off, just for a little bit, because it's such a stressful and demanding role, all day everyday. We try to make them feel special.

"What we always say is that, if they're not healthy themselves then how can they possibly do their caring role? We ensure their health and wellbeing is in a good place otherwise the impact on their partner, or their kids, and themselves can be really quite debilitating."

Blackpool Carers Centre offer support for carers and their families.

For more information, visit: http://www.blackpoolcarers.org/support-for-carers/