Carers Week recognises the vital job of caregivers in the UK

This month, the national Carers Week campaign seeks to raise awareness for the important work that caregivers up and down the country do to help older people and those who need support.

As we get older and our mobility is not what it once was, daily tasks can become more challenging and while stairlift solutions can make moving around our home easier, sometimes extra support is necessary. Thankfully, through the commitment and contribution of care workers we can live the way we choose to long into our later years. Carers Week is our opportunity to relay this appreciation and support the individuals and organisations that make this possible.

Taking place annually, Carers Week is a national campaign that seeks to raise greater awareness of those caring for older people, those with disabilities and the ill. From the 6^th-12^th of June this year, the initiative will bring together thousands of individuals and organisations in a number of activities and at events to recognise the impact of care work in the country.

Events include opportunities for caregivers to meet with their community at coffee mornings, educational fairs and health and wellbeing seminars to help equip carers with the understanding they need to look after themselves as well.

In addition to realising the difference that effective care brings to several families in the UK, 2016’s campaign aims to highlight the challenges faced by carers in the community. This is especially important as Carers Week estimates that 3 in 4 care providers don’t feel that their caring role is understood or valued by their community.

‘Building Carer Friendly Communities’ is the focus of this year’s campaign and Carers Week is encouraging communities to support their carers to look after loved ones, while recognising that these individuals have needs of their own. To this end, Carers Week has produced the Carers Checklist – a guide with practical steps that highlight how communities can work together to ensure that care work is supported locally. The checklist looks at how local services such as pharmacies and banks identify those who are caring, how care employers inform employees of their rights in their job and whether schools and colleges in the area support students and staff who may be caring for a family member.

In our later years, many of us will come to rely on the hard work of dedicated carers in our community to continue to lead a quality lifestyle. Carers Week is a chance to thank them for this work and make them aware that we support them when challenges arise.