Advice Centre
We Support Carers Awareness Week 8th – 14th June 2021
This is great opportunity to recognise those with caring responsibilities so that we can collectively ensure they can access support when required. It is also a chance to show we care for them and help empower them because often they are too busy juggling their caring role and either they do not have the time or know where to go for help and support.
What is Carers Week about?
This is an annual campaign to raise awareness of the challenges carers face and recognise the contribution they make to families, communities and our society as a whole. We represent clients injured through medical negligence and we often see how challenging it is for the family member’s to embrace a caring role which often happens without warning. Relationships and roles change overnight when an accident happens leaving the carer to fight on their own.
Why support this campaign?
Around 6.5 million people in the UK are carers, looking after a parent, partner, child or friend. The point of the campaign is to make unpaid carers visible, supported and valued.
The impact of the pandemic has meant many are left with long Covid-19 symptoms, this means more people will take on more caring responsibilities for their family members or friends who are either shielding, or are frail or and indeed in need of more support. The pandemic will increase the number of carers, who often themselves do not know that they are a carer because they take on the role out of love and affection but in time, if the caring roles becomes intense and demanding they may need support from the community and people like us.
We act of client who have suffered medical negligence or suffered a serious injury through say an accident at work or a motor bike incident. We see people with caring challenges. A lot has been done to raise awareness but more can be done to recognise their contribution to ensure they feel valued and supported. Basic help like understanding a carer’s journey to actually taking time to listen to them is just the start.
A carer is someone who provides unpaid care and support to a family member or friend who has a disability, illness, mental health problem or who needs extra help as they grow older. A carer can be someone in their eighties caring for their partner or a young person of 16 caring for a parent. Often as they do not get paid they are not recognised as carers.
How can we help raise awareness?
- Join an fundraising campaign to raise funds for carer’s respite break
- Volunteer with your local Carer’s charity and give something back
- Call someone who you know is caring and give them your time and ear.
- Be there for them
Helpful information for those who wish to support carers or for carers themselves can be found at:
This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal or professional advice. Please note that the law may have changed since this article was published.