Thousands of carers across Ireland are reducing their spending on food and heating to manage financially, while simultaneously paying out of pocket for vital equipment such as wheelchairs for those they care for — equipment that should be funded through the public system.
Those are the findings of a new report from Family Carers Ireland, based on conversations with 3,000 carers, who said that mounting financial pressure and isolation make “your world shrink,” reports Breaking News.
Analysis carried out for the Government’s Healthy Ireland report last year found that as many as one in seven adults in Ireland are carers. This latest survey shows 48% experiencing severe loneliness.
Other striking findings include that 18% find it “extremely difficult” to make ends meet, with 71% finding it “difficult” overall; 49% have cut back on food or heat; 76% have reduced spending on non-essentials; 75% have never been offered respite options for their loved one; and 55% have paid privately for products or services they were in theory entitled to receive free through public services, reports Breaking News.
Family Carers Ireland research manager Nikki Dunne said: “I think the words that really summed this survey up for me were ‘your world shrinks’, reports Breaking News.
“That sentiment came up again and again in different ways. It wasn’t just about not having people to talk to, it was about the lack of respite, the lack of formal supports, the financial difficulties,” reports Breaking News.
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