Report on struggles prepared by county carers centre ‘Looking after loved ones during lockdown is pushing carers to breaking point’
CHARITY DETAILS DIFFICULTIES PEOPLE ARE FACING
UNPAID carers are being stretched to “breaking point” and “feel forgotten about” during lockdown, according to a local charity and support group. The struggles of looking after loved ones during the coronavirus pandemic have been collated in a report by The Carers Centre Leicestershire and Rutland.
The organisation has also outlined how it thinks those who have spent the lockdown looking after children, parents or relatives can be helped when restrictions are fully lifted.
The charity said in its report: “The pandemic has made an already difficult situation that much more challenging.
“Carers who were already stretched to near-breaking point have been pushed even further towards situations where caring arrangements may break down.”
Staff from the charity contacted more than 500 local carers and asked for their feedback so it could put together the report.
They found that “in almost all cases, the carers we were in contact with were finding the situation increasingly stressful,” and added “the levels of anxiety and stress that carers were displaying were extremely high, and calls often took well over an hour to both calm carers and unpick which were the most urgent needs that could be dealt with immediately.”
Anonymised examples of people’s concerns were included in the report to help illustrate the challenges and difficulties facing lots of families.
One stated that a person with whom the charity had spoken felt like they had been “badly let down by the government,” which they felt did “not have a clue what it is like to be looking after a disabled person 24/7”.
The comment reflected the views of other unpaid carers, who also criticised the government’s communiservices cation issue. “Much of the communication did not refer to family carers at all, and there appeared to be no recognition of the additional pressures likely to be put on carers due to the Coronavirus Act 2020,” the report added.
Many of those who were contacted told staff they were confused about government advice in relation to shielding and looking after family with whom they did not live.
They said they feared falling foul of lockdown laws if they went to another household to care for someone.
Charles Huddleston, service manager at The Carers Centre, told the Mercury: “We had people who were scared that they would be stopped by the police and fined for going to look after a family member that they didn’t live with.
“There were people who were torn between looking after a loved one and breaking the rules which were unclear when it came to visiting another household to provide care as a family carer.”
Fetching shopping and over the medication, and the support available to those who were told they were in the extremely vulnerable category, also posed problems for some, with one person saying they had been sent a letter to advise them to shield themselves, only to receive another saying they were not considered vulnerable.
Carers also said they were worried about health issues not related to Covid-19, with operations and routine appointments postponed or cancelled, difficulties accessing mental health support and that they felt isolated.
Speaking about the situations in which some family carers find themselves, Mr Huddleston said: “Everything is intensified for those families who are caring for a loved one.
“A lot of them are in the house all day, every day, together. Some will be unable to go out to even fetch food.
“Breaks from caring will be short. There will be people who have no time to sleep properly or have some time to themselves.
“Day centres and respite breaks have not been available, routines will have changed, sometimes drastically, and a lot of the people providing the care are vulnerable themselves. This will be the reality for a lot of family carers.”
Mr Huddleston said that talking to carers about their experiences had heightened his concerns that support services will be overwhelmed when restrictions are relaxed and they are able to operate again.
“People caring for children would normally have respite breaks, day centres, places they could go for support, and they haven’t had that for some time now. And a lot of the carers are classed as vulnerable themselves – they might be over 70 or in the shielding categories.”
Carers’ own accounts reflected Mr Huddleston’s concerns that those who look after loved ones often neglect their own health and needs, something which could mean catastrophic consequences further down the line.
He added: “When these support services are available again, I worry they will be overwhelmed and won’t be able to cope with the demand. They’ll be queuing round the block, so to speak.
“People have been without certain and support for a long time and they rely on it.
“The other concern is that people have managed and coped throughout, but when this ends there’ll be an emotional release and people will realise it has taken its toll, physically, mentally and emotionally.”
CHALLENGES were also highlighted by, and were more apparent among, people caring for loved ones with autism, learning disabilities, dementia or mental health issues.
The report states: “The above groups struggle most in a situation where there is uncertainty, a loss of routine and sudden changes. This increases anxieties and is likely to trigger behaviours that challenge.”
One carer looking after his wife, who has dementia, told the charity that her “sundowning” – a term used to describe confusion and agitation getting worse in the late afternoon and evening – had been more prevalent since the lockdown started.
Mr Huddleston said: “Carers have seen how the restrictions and confines of lockdown affect the equilibrium of family life. A lot of people are struggling.”
The report concludes: “While it is recognised that the Covid-19 outbreak is a situation that is unprecedented in modern times, there is much that can be learnt from working in partnership with carers and listening to their experiences.
“It is anticipated that we will all be dealing with both the virus and the societal impact for some considerable time to come.
“Therefore, all levels and areas of strategic planning need to have a clear focus on keeping people well enough, both physically and mentally, to deal with the ongoing outbreak, as well as support for the longer term.
“There is an opportunity now to make sure that the impending mental health crisis is effectively managed and minimised wherever possible by providing additional support across all partners in care.
“We need to work quickly and effectively together to ensure that time and resources are not wasted, as the repercussions will be felt for generations to come and we will all be held accountable.”
Carers have seen the confines of lockdown affect the equilibrium of family life