Let’s look after the carers, urges support group

Around 500,000 Black Asian Minority Ethnic (BAME) carers in England save the state a staggering £7.9 billion a year by providing unpaid care for their loved ones.

This amount is equivalent to more than 40% of all government social care spending.

New research from lobby group Carers UK shows that BAME carers give more care than average while having to deal with language barriers, accessing culturally appropriate services and with stereotyping around caring. This puts them at greater risk of ill health, poverty, loss of employment and social exclusion.

Imelda Redmond. CBE Chief Executive of Carers UK said: “There is a strong economic imperatives to supporting BAME carers, in preventing ill health and ensuring they can juggle work and care for longer. If this does not happen BAME families will have little choice to provide care, falling out of employment and risking ill health and isolation.”

The report recommends that as government cuts bite, councils and health bodies should work more closely with BAME carers.

“Britain’s population is ageing and with it increasing pressure to fund social care. The BAME population is younger than the White British population but in the next few decades we will see a significant rise in the numbers of BAME older people needing care. It is vital that creative funding and practical solutions are found to ensure that the right flexible and appropriate care is provided for BAME older people,” says the report ‘Half a Million Voices: Improving support for BAME carers’.

“It is important that a reformed NHS actively works to overcome the additional health challenges that are faced by BAME communities. There is an urgent need for the NHS to clearly understand and respond to the needs of carers and, within this, they need to understand BAME carers. Welfare reform, equally, needs to assess the impacts on BAME populations, including BAME carers and the people for whom they care.”

Download a copy from Carers UK

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