Supporting our carers during Carers’ Week 2020
June 08, 2020
Action for M.E. is celebrating Carers’ Week 2020 (June 8-14) and paying tribute to the men, women and children who look after a loved one who is living with M.E.
If you give assistance and support on an unpaid basis to someone who has M.E. then you are classed as a carer and play a vital role in supporting the UK’s health and social care system.
The theme of this year’s Carers’ Week is Make Caring Visible – and never has caring been as important as during the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to new figures released for Carers’ Week there are an estimated 4.5 million additional people who became unpaid carers in a matter of weeks due to the pandemic – this is on top of the 9.1 million unpaid carers who existed before the coronavirus outbreak.
Some of these carers will include those looking after family members or friends who have M.E. It could be getting food shopping in, picking up medicines or preparing meals. However small or large your contribution might be, you are making a huge difference to the lives of people who live with this life-changing condition.
Results of our Big Survey carried out last year showed that:
- 9 in 10 people with M.E. have not received any information about applying for social care from their GP or council
- 89% of those who receive care receive it from a family member
- Of these, 3 out of 4 receive no support
But it’s not all bad news, our survey also revealed:
- 1 in 3 severely affected respondents have had a social care assessment with 90% of them obtaining some form of support
- The most common form of support is aids and adaptations to the home followed by help with personal care.
The carers’ section of our website has information on what qualifies as a carer, what support may be available to you, and advice on how best to support someone with M.E.
You can also call our Crisis, Support and Advocacy Service on 0117 927 9551 or email questions@actionforme.org.uk. Our Action for M.E. colleagues are there to help you.
