Supporters of older carers appeal
Angela Rippon
"I don't think anyone knows the true number of mature carers there are in this country. They are a hidden workforce of thousands of unsung heroes, often working alone and without help, and putting their own health at risk. Some are too proud to ask for help, others are simply not aware of the support they can get. It's good to know that the Princess Royal Trust for Carers is there for them, not just as a safety net, but to draw attention to their needs including the threat to their health."
Claire King
"The majority of carers over 60 are caring for over 60 hours a week which makes them very vulnerable to stress and ill-health, as this report from The Princess Royal Trust for Carers shows. At a time when their own health is deteriorating many older carers find themselves exhausted and putting someone else’s health first to the detriment of their own. I would like to see carers being valued and supported as they should be."
Dame Judi Dench
"Having been a carer myself, I understand the stresses and strains involved in looking after a loved one. There are many, many older carers around the country doing tremendous work looking after their family or friends but it’s often at a cost to the carer’s own health and well-being, as shown by this report from The Princess Royal Trust for Carers. Carers already save our economy billions and they need more support to enable them to continue in their caring role."
(Photograph credit: Andrew Zuckerman)
Felix Francis, author of the ‘Dick Francis’ novels
"Caring for an elderly or infirm relative is often the most thankless of tasks, especially for carers who are themselves elderly. It is not a job they wanted or applied for, it just fell into their laps. No one wants to be in need of care and such situations can be stressful and raw on the emotions for both the carer and the cared for. I know this all too well as a result of the care needed by my father, Dick Francis, during the last few difficult months of his life. The Princess Royal Trust for Carers provides essential relief for both sides and even a short break can make all the difference. Please give your support to the army of unsung heroes."
Fiona Phillips
"The pressures of caring for someone can take an enormous toll on older carers’ physical and mental health, as this report (from The Princess Royal Trust for Carers) shows. Increasing support for carers would improve their health and wellbeing and would have the knock-on effect of improving the health and wellbeing of the people they care for."
Jo Brand
"When I am promised my best three wishes will be granted by that benevolent and all-powerful elf who lands on my pillow one starlit night I have no hesitation but to ask for health and well-being in my twilight years. My second wish will be to bestow the same health and contentment to those I value and cherish. The third wish I’ll donate to a caring community to recognise and relieve the intolerable demands and distress placed upon elderly carers – husbands, wives, sons and daughters whose commitment to a loved one exceeds their own needs and desperately compromises their own health and happiness. This month, The Princess Royal Trust for Carers hopes to bring these issues to the forefront and demand that older carers’ needs be addressed, that their love can be sustained until that all-powerful elf calls time up and that life can be remembered with joy."
Joanna Lumley
"One in eight people over 60 in the UK is a carer, which is about 1.6 million people looking after someone close to them who is unwell or disabled. Looking at this report from The Princess Royal Trust for Carers, we can see how people who might have hoped to be enjoying their retirement with their husband or wife are sacrificing their health and well-being instead being a carer. Hopefully this report will act as one more step towards recognising the enormous debt society owes to carers and acknowledging the support they need to help them keep going."
