200 carers from across Bedfirshsire have attended an in-person and online conference aimed to help them learn from each other, make sense of and manage change, and deal with modern challenges.
The Carers in Bedfordshire’s Changing Lives Conference yesterday (Thursday), open to all unpaid family carers and professionals, was held at Kings House, Bedford and on Zoom. Over 150 people attended in person.
“Peer support is one of the best things you can get involved in and having an organisation that can be an advocate for carers, like Carers in Bedfordshire, is so important,” said Keynote speaker Vice President of Carers UK, Dame Philippa Russell.
Opening the event, Dame Russell spoke of the state of caring in the UK, including:
- How the 10.5m carers in the UK save the economy £135billion a year, looking after someone who can’t cope without them
- Nearly half of those care for more than 20 hours a week and many of those care 24/7
- Half of all carers have not had a break in the last year and three-quarters are exhausted and struggling to juggle care and work
- One in five is in debt
- More than 90 per cent of carers are worried about the cost of living.
Despite the bleak outlook for carers, she added there are “some good things to come” with carers getting the right to unpaid carers’ leave.
The Carers Leave Bill will see more money from the Government becoming available for carers’ own respite.
Carers were also reminded that they have the right to a Carers’ Assessment, to find out if they’re willing to provide the level of care required and what would help them to do this.
Carers also heard from parent carer Cheryl Chapman who spoke about caring for her disabled daughter to adulthood, and who has recently moved into supported living.
Her emotional story highlighted the difficult decisions carers sometimes have to make.
There were also dozens of information stands from partner agencies and different teams within Carers in Bedfordshire, with other talks about care homes, mental capacity, power of attorney, deputyship and advocacy also taking place.
Chief Executive Officer of Carers in Bedfordshire, Chris Stelling, said: “We were delighted to be able to host a conference for carers for the first time in three years due to Covid.
“It was great to touch on so many issues affecting carers, especially in the tough times they are facing.
The feedback we received was fantastic showing how carers and professionals got a lot out of it, and we were able to further support people in their caring roles.”
To find out more about Carers in Bedfordshire or to sign up for support, if you care for someone who could not cope without you, visit carersinbeds.org.uk.
