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County-wide Kent Carers Matter campaign launches

Written by on 30 January 2018

A new county-wide campaign – Kent Carers Matter – has been launched to raise the profile of the 1 in 9 adult Carers in Kent and to increase access to Carer services.

 

151,000 adults in Kent are Carers, looking after a family member, partner, friend or neighbour who due to physical or mental illness, disability, age related difficulties or an addiction cannot cope without their support. Being a Carer can be a positive experience, but it can also be challenging and exhausting, which can impact on a Carer’s mental and physical health or well-being.

 

Kent Carers Matter has been developed by five Carer organisations in Kent to:

 

  • raise the profile of Carers in Kent
  • increase access to Carer services
  • support health and social care professionals to identify and refer Carers to services earlier
  • provide more opportunities for Carers to engage with and have their say about local and national issues that affect them.

 

If you are a Carer

 

Whether you describe yourself as a Carer or not, looking after someone can be tough at times, but there is information and support available.

 

  • Look after your own health and well-being. Tell your GP you are a Carer and how caring is impacting on your physical and mental health.
  • If you also work, you may be able to reduce the stress of juggling being a Carer with work demands by speaking to your employer. There may be some simple changes that could be made to make things easier.
  • Talk to family and friends about your caring role, your concerns and worries if you can.

 

What you can do to support Carers as a friend, relative or colleague

 

It’s likely that you’ll know people who are Carers (though they may not use that term.) You can help as a friend, relative or colleague by:

 

  • Being aware of how being a Carer might affect the rest of their lives.
  • Being a listening ear and offering practical help and support when you can.
  • Recognising how valuable and important being a Carer is.
  • Encouraging Carers to look after their own health and well-being.
  • Suggesting Carers tell their GP and workplace about their caring role.

 

CARERS IN KENT – KEY FACTS

 

  • Over 6.5 million adults in the UK are Carers (Census 2011)
  • 1 in 9 adults (151,000 people) in Kent are Carers. (Census 2011)
  • 3 in 5 people in Kent will become a Carer at some point in their lives. (State of Caring 2017, Carers UK)
  • Carers in Kent save the public purse around £3 billion every year (Value of Caring 2015, Carers UK)
  • Carers are all ages, come from all walks of life and backgrounds and unlike care workers, are not paid.
  • Many Carers also combine caring for someone with paid work.
  • Carers provide a valuable and often invisible role in society.

 

More information

 

For more information about Kent Carers Matter and to find out what support is available for Carers in your area visit www.kentcarersmatter.co.uk