Teenage turmoil. Dad's memory is fading. Mum is living on eggshells. This is just another day for Fiona. Like many family caregivers across the UK, she is living the reality of seeing her parent grapple with the early stages of dementia and isn't sure how or what to do to help. The visits she's currently doing don't seem to be enough, and her son Callum is also having trouble at school. She's overwhelmed, stressed and in need of help at home to support her parents.
Across the UK, millions of family carers are facing struggles in their lives when trying to care for their ageing parents. This added weight of responsibility can have adverse effects on people. We surveyed 2,000 family carers to understand the impact that this is having and the results are startling.
A worrying 88% neglect their own health and wellbeing, while 65% struggle with their mental health as they juggle caring for ageing parents alongside their own families and careers. Many carers feel unable to cope with a third saying they are now at breaking point. See the full survey results here.
The research inspired our new campaign Take Care, which has been created to raise awareness of the issues faced by family carers and to highlight how a service like Home Instead can help. To launch our campaign, we created a film featuring 3 characters, Sue, Colin and Fiona who are struggling to cope with caring for their parents as well as their own family responsibilities.
The film, an unapologetically raw exploration of what day-to-day life is like for millions of multi-generational carers across the UK, ultimately suggests that although people are struggling, it doesn’t have to be this way. Watch the full video here.
At Home Instead, we care for tens of thousands of older adults, just like those parents shown in our film, so that family carers don’t face that responsibility alone.
We listen. We understand. And we’re here to help. So no matter how stressful or stuck looking for care has made you feel, we’ve helped people through worse before.
Our specialist dementia services support the whole family to manage and live with the diagnosis.
No matter how stuck you feel, we can help you solve any care situation. Let’s find a way through this together.
For more care stories, watch Sue’s story or Colin’s here.
Contact your local office below, or find out more about homecare and our services.
We've helped thousands of families to stay safe, comfortable and happy at home. Whatever situation you're facing, or whatever the question is, Home Instead is here to help.
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