Summary
A new report published by Carers Scotland shows the devasting impact the health and social care crisis is having on the health of Scotland’s 800,000 unpaid carers.
Content
- Over a quarter of carers (28%) said their mental health is bad or very bad, rising to 37% for carers on Carer’s Allowance.
- A third (36%) of carers said that they had thoughts related to self-harm or suicide.
- Over half (54%) of carers said that their physical health had suffered because of their caring role, with one in five (20%) suffering a physical injury from caring.
The results of a survey of over 1,700 Scottish unpaid carers shows the ongoing struggle that they are facing to access the services and support they need to care and manage their health and wellbeing. Despite their huge contribution to the Scottish economy, to our communities and to the lives of the people they care for, carers are facing deteriorating physical and mental health, loneliness and isolation with too many driven to deep mental despair as they are denied the support they need to maintain a healthy life.
Only a third (38%) of carers are receiving support from formal social care services and over a third (35%) have not had any break from caring in the last year. There is lack of involvement of carers on hospital discharge with 60% not engaged by health services, despite being expected to provide care to someone at home. Only 18% were provided with sufficient support on discharge to protect their health or the health of the person they care for.
Caring, particularly with such insufficient support, is damaging carers mental health. Carers shared in detail the impact that caring had on their mental health, with the majority (88%) having difficulty sleeping, continuous low mood (85%) and feelings of hopelessness (82%) including regularly feeling tearful (71%). This has led a shocking level of carers saying that they have thoughts of self-harm or suicide.
And, concerningly, this lack of support from both health and social care services leaves little time for carers to look after their own health, with four in 10 (41%) saying that they have had to put off receiving healthcare treatment because of their caring role.
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