When journalist Pritpal's mother in London was diagnosed with myeloma, a rare blood cancer, at age 72, her life shifted dramatically. She quit her full-time job to become her mother's full-time carer. With her father elderly and her brother estranged, all responsibility fell on her shoulders. She had to manage cooking, massages, treatment monitoring, and prayers at the gurdwara, severely limiting her own life and social connections.
Pritpal's story is part of a broader issue for millions of unpaid carers in the UK. The country has around six million unpaid carers, many family members, but only one million receive the government's Carer's Allowance of £83.30 per week. This allowance is deemed inadequate by many carers, as it fails to cover rising costs and medical expenses.
Other carers like Bill Singh share similar experiences. Bill, 64, has been caring for his parents since his 40s, first his mother for 15 years and now his 96-year-old father with Alzheimer's and dementia. He gave up his job and structures his day around his father's routine, leading to exhaustion and isolation. Bill called Carer's Allowance "an insult" and noted it doesn't even cover fuel costs for medical appointments.
Linda, 79, also cared for her husband for nearly three decades after he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. She never applied for Carer's Allowance, finding the process too overwhelming. While her husband is now in a palliative care home, Linda worries about the possibility of him returning home, as her own health has declined and she can't provide full-time care again.
Caregiving takes a serious toll on health: half of carers report adverse effects like stress, fatigue, and poor sleep, and 28% live in poverty. The charity Carers Trust has called on the government to provide a robust social security system for intensive carers, invest in specialist employment support, and help those in crisis. According to Pritpal, carers often remain invisible and overlooked, despite their crucial role in propping up the National Health Service (NHS) system.
Source: www.aljazeera.com