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Unpaid caregivers spend 1.3 billion hours a year on their partners and loved ones. (Image: GETTY)
A "silent army" of unpaid caregivers spends 1.3 billion hours a year supporting its partners and loved ones, the Alzheimer Society said. Their work saves about £ 11.6 billion a year for the economy, but many of them will not benefit from any break during the holiday season – and will have to deal with the additional complications of the holidays. family reunions. Jeremy Hughes, president of the Alzheimer Society, said: "On Christmas day, when most of us will rest and rejoice, nearly 700,000 people across the UK will not benefit from the benefits of the disease. a break because they provide specialized care 24 hours a day to their loved ones with dementia.
"There is a silent army of people sacrificing their careers, relationships, health and well-being to fill the gaping gaps in our health care and social services system.
"It's a job they do for love, but it's also one of the hardest."
In the UK, approximately 850,000 people have dementia – and this number is expected to reach one million within three years.
Research found that nearly three-quarters of people with dementia suffered from anxiety and depression, and nearly two-thirds became physically ill because of their responsibilities.
CARERS: About two in five said care had an impact on their personal relationships and social life (Image: GETTY)
Research found that almost three-quarters of dementia caregivers were anxious and depressed
More than a quarter said they felt cut off from society and about two in five said that caring had a negative impact on their personal relationships and social life.
The charity's 'Fix Dementia Care' campaign calls for the creation of an NHS fund to help families affected by the disease bear typical care costs of £ 100,000.
He wants every family to have a dedicated counselor and all health and social service workers receive specialized dementia training.
Mr. Hughes said, "Successive governments have avoided the issue of our failing care system, forcing people with dementia to fend for themselves.
850,000 people have dementia in the UK (Image: GETTY)
"We urgently need the NHS's long-term plan and the Green Paper on social welfare to end this injustice."
The Ministry of Health and Social Affairs said: "We are already looking at ways to improve the access of care providers to breaks and respite care and our next Green Paper will look at sustainable solutions. long term for the social protection system ".
Join the campaign on alzheimers.org.uk/fixdementiacare. Contact the National Dementia Assistance Line at 0300 222 1122 or alzheimers.org.uk
Loneliness becomes harder at the party
The holiday season can "amplify" the feeling of loneliness, warned a great doctor by encouraging people to connect with other members of the community.
Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, President of the Royal College of GPs, warned that loneliness and social isolation can be as harmful to health as chronic diseases.
She encouraged people to be good citizens and to make meaningful connections with their friends and neighbors.
Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, (Image: Grading Photography / Royal Colleg / PA Wire)
Ms. Stokes-Lampard said, "Any festival or gathering of people can reduce or amplify the feeling of being isolated or lonely.
"People are usually already vulnerable and it's darker, but the whole SAD thing (seasonal affective disorder) of short days amplifies the situation.
"As a doctor, we see people in their communities, we are part of their communities and we see the harmful effects these things have on people's health – they are as serious as chronic diseases for your health."
She urged people to become "big citizens" by broadening the reach of the community beyond their close relatives.
COMMENT
by JEREMY HUGHES, Executive Director of the Alzheimer Society
In the United Kingdom, one million people will have dementia by 2021 and, if many have dedicated family and friends who take care of it, many will face dementia alone.
Although no medication can slow down or stop the disease, it is the community care rather than the hospital care that people with dementia rely on.
But decades of limited government funding have left many people unable to get help or to afford to help, so partners and families need to step in.
Tomorrow, when most of us will rest and celebrate, nearly 700,000 people will not have a break because they provide 24-hour specialized care for their loved ones.
It's a job that they do for love.
Jeremy Hughes, Executive Director of the Alzheimer Society (Image: Alzheimer Society)
But, as Sheridan Smith has shown in Care, the drama of the BBC, it's one of the toughest jobs, which requires a lot more time and training than most people .
People have told us that taking care of someone with dementia can give the impression of working three shifts a day without a break, and thanks to our hotline, we hear about poor people because they can not get support.
It should not and does not have to be like that.
People with dementia pay the price both financially and personally: nearly a fifth have abandoned jobs and a quarter have reduced their hours of work so that care is a priority. Not surprisingly, one-quarter of caregivers say their financial situation has deteriorated.
From the woman with anxiety and depression after juggling with the care of her mother to raise her children, to the man who abandoned his career to look after his mother because the only ones available care was of dubious quality and extremely expensive, we know Through our "Fix Dementia" campaign, people affected by dementia are the first victims of the crisis of care.
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