Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
A CAMPAIGN HAS been launched to highlight the critical situation of many of Ireland’s family carers following an RTÉ Prime Time special highlighting the lack of support available to the thousands of carers across the country.
Behind closed doors, almost 200,000 people dedicate their lives caring for loved ones in Ireland. Census 2016 recorded a 35% increase in the number of carers who are aged 85 and over.
Carers provide over 6.5 million hours of care per weeks in Ireland. On average, carers care for their loved ones for almost the equivalent of a full 40-hour working week. Almost 9% provide full-time 24-hour unpaid care, with no real break at all.
Carers in Crisis last night highlighted the stories of some of those carers and those whom they care for.
Jack Brennan is almost 85 years old and cares for his wife Bernie, who has Alzheimer’s, at their home in Roscommon.
Brennen receives just 2.5 hours a day homecare for Bernie to get her up, washed, dressed, fed and back to bed in the evening. He gets an extra two hours on a Friday, in which he has to do all the week’s shopping and household errands.
“I wouldn’t put her in a home. I love her too much. If she went into a home it would break my heart,” Brennan said.
Jacinta Walsh (51), from Drogheda, cares for her 18-year-old son Sam, who has autism.
He has a learning disability and a number of health conditions, including type one diabetes.
As highlighted in last night’s programme, Sam’s behaviour is unpredictable and can be extremely violent. Jacinta has suffered some serious assaults.
Sim Sam turned 18 in July, there’s no respite care available to him or his family.
“I can’t tell you the difference it makes having respite. If you know you are getting a break in two or three weeks time, you can carry on in between but if there is no break on the horizon… that’s where we are now. There is nothing – that’s really, really hard,” Walsh told RTÉ’s Miriam O’Callaghan.
One major worry for many carers is what will happen to their loved ones once they die. Some carers told RTÉ that their only hope is that the person they have given their lives to care for dies before them.
Family Carers Ireland has today said that carers don’t want praise or pity, they want proper support to enable them to continue what they’re doing.
The organisation is calling on the government to invest in home care as it has been “inconsistent and inequitable”.
“Last night’s programme was heartbreaking and reflected what we are seeing daily across the country,” Catherine Cox from Family Carers Ireland said.
“We have family carers contacting us all the time totally distraught and at their wits end. They need regular breaks to enable them to continue their caring role,” she said.
Carers are in crisis and this needs to change now. They are expected to keep providing unsupported care regardless of the detrimental costs their physical and mental well being.
“This is not acceptable and is pushing carers past breaking point. We believe caring should be a shared responsibility shared between families, communities and the state.”
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Remember the way we treat our elderly, is the way we will be treated. We will be elderly ourselves someday.
@Joe Ryan: My mother is 67. Not what I call elderly yet. As a kid I can recall her telling me never ever look after her. Stick her in a home. I would have no problem with her going in a home. I believe they would provide better care. I have the same view with my kids. I never want them to look after me, if I ever get to the point I needed to be looked after I would rather have a one way ticket to Switzerland and see myself out.
She has also told me to flick the switch if there is a 50% chance of being a vegetable.
As for dementia, I believe you need to enter their world, if they are happy there, go there with them.
Fair play to that man for taking such good care of his wife. It must be most people’s worst nightmare to end up in a home.
@Waters Edge: let’s not condemn all homes. Some of them are great facilities with great staff.
@Alan Wiley: Eh, did I condemn any homes or staff? My point was that most people I am sure would not choose to leave their own home and familiar surroundings to spend the rest of their days in a home.
@Waters Edge: fair enough, but ‘worst nightmare ‘ ? I think not.
@Alan Wiley: Well it would be mine.
@Waters Edge: lol that’s ok.. I’m only having a chat.
@Waters Edge: My worst nightmare isn’t ending up in a home at least there you aren’t a burden on your family but losing the ability to care for myself and wiping my own a$$ is what I fear the most. I prefer to jump off a bridge at that stage – preferably some nicer way to go.
@Waters Edge:
Till death do us part. Love is the glue that hold them together. And boy does he love her.
I’m a personal note, I wouldn’t mind going into a home. However if I needed to be looked after I would take a one way trip to Switzerland and see myself out.
@Lily: Switzerland only permit citizens to do that now. No more outsiders I’m afraid
@Catherine Sims: did they ban it recently?
@Catherine Sims: googling there and it seems Dignitas is still open to non Swiss residents.
I know it’s hard, but sometimes a home is the best place for the individual and the family.
It can lead to better quality of life for everyone involved. Sure it’s not an easy decision and very hard when transitioning but assuming proper 24 hour care is available, being around more people / community is good and also those who care for you, you would hope are not working 24 hour shifts like carers are at home.
Sometimes loving someone, means making a hard decision that’s best for everyone, it’s not being selfish.
That’s all assuming it’s available to you of course
@fintolini: You are wrong. No one is going into ” homes ” anymore unless they are nursing homes which are only suitable for elderly people. Adults with ID are moving I to community housing . This is just a house in a local community. The staffing levels are higher but the care is the same as home. So why not keep people in their homes as long as possible ? Home care packages are cheaper than nursing homes. Occasional respite is cheaper than a nursing home. It actually works out cheaper to keep people at home where they are happiest . The problem is the finding is structured towards nursing homes. The systems need to be changed and changed fast. Elderly carers want their kids to be transitioned to community housing but most don’t get the option. It’s not at all as simple as you make out.
@Catherine Sims: I don’t think I suggested there was a one size fits all scenario, I was simply pointing out that if a home is suitable for particularly needs, then it shouldn’t be ruled out because you think it shows you don’t love someone.
Obviously someone with ID is a different situation . Let’s not argue, my point is that in some situations there are options available and people feel that availing of that option will make them look weak or that they don’t love the person involved, which isnt the case.
My own view point in one example of this article, if I had Alzheimer’s, if possible prefer to be in a home. I believe I may hurt the ones I love too much at home and would prefer they have some quality of life, see me as often as they like but endure less suffering if that’s possible.
I was delighted to see a focus on parents looking after children. In my personal experience there is lots of support in place for people looking after parents or spouses but not so for those looking after children . These are the real long term carers. One woman had been caring for her daughter for 54 years. I was amused at the conversation on how when kids reach 18 they loose respite. Well there are kids with severe to profound disabilities who have never received one minutes respite care yet kids in the same class get full weekends once or twice a month. It’s not just post code lottery it’s still who you know and how ” well in” you are.
Finian McGrath was a total disappointed . The way he spoke was just the way any HSE rep speaks when you have to go meet them. They ALL take credit for getting the extra finding and they throw the figures around like confetti. The point is none of that money seems to make it’s way down to the actual people who need it. I have been a sandwich carer looking after two loved ones. In the end there was help available for my father with a fight . A fight we had to renew every single .o the at the reviews. Help for one still leaves you caring full-time for the other. No break no help. It was maddening to watch that show last night. Dont try make us saints. This isn’t a vocation. We are ordinary people with needs and breaking points. Making us saints government an out. We are tired. It’s not like normal tiredness. It’s soul ducking tiredness of never being able to step outside the door on your own just to go get milk for weeks or months on end.
@Catherine Sims: very well articulated points there.
@Catherine Sims: excellent points, people prefer to stay in their own homes and should be given supports to allow them. we are currently caring for both my parents in their own home one is bedridden and one with disabilities from a stroke and its 7day week 365 days a year work. It would be so helpful to have some extra help at home. Nobody cares though
@Catherine Sims: you ate dead right listening to Mc Garth was like listening to an HSE rep an we all know the rubbish comes out of there mouths. Pity Louise O Reily was not asked to appear on show as she knows very well how HSE does not work.
@Loretta stiletto: Have you looked into home help or even better home care package. They will try to fob you off and you will have to fight your corner. You need help !!!,
@Catherine Sims: yes we have a small amount of help not enough to be able to get a day free and certainly not a weekend.
Carers allowances have been cut consistantly under this government
@Nigel O’Neill: someone has to makeup the gap for vulture funds who pay little or no tax.
@Ian Kavanagh: The bondholders and vulture funds are the number one priority for this Government. The Irish people are nothing but an irritation to the blueshirts.
Horrible the way these people are being treated. Where’s the help they need?
@Keith Ryan: They don’t generate taxes to “keep the recovery going” so they are irrelevant to FG/FF
@Shakka1244: but save the state tens of thousands …
@Ian Kavanagh: which is completely overlooked and unrecognised.
these carers do such a hard job and should be given so much more respect
I think it’s time to really look at spending for Irish people like care givers. We spend over a billion a year on the people who mainly have no right to be here. We also spend over 600 on million foreign aid. The foreign aid budget should be retained but the monies for people who have no right to be here should be drastically cut in favour of our own people. Ireland doesn’t owe anything to non Irish people.
That lovely man who looked after his wife Bernie. Went well and beyong looking after his wife , just to suffer a stroke … Most carers , have underlining Health issues themselves that go unnoticed .. It’s sad that most will suffer in silence , I do hope his man will recover well and still be able to be with his wife ,he to will have to make the decision that he does have to hand care over to others … I do hope that both have quality, love for rest of there days …
My husband has dementia and i care for him on my own with no help from the state other than carers allowance which is a joke. It doesnt cover all my husbands needs. He can be very aggressive but i love him and i woukd never think of placing him in a home. As long as i breath ill look after him. The government should be ashamed of themselves and look after carers. We save them a fortune
We had some body in St John’s In Enniscorthy the building wasn’t great. The staff were fantastic such caring lovely bunch they were. Could not speak highly enough of them. Just Fantastic each an every one we well I met.
Some touching scenes for sure but I don’t think we should pay people to care for their own loved ones.
@Ezra Stein: Go back under your bridge troll. You aren’t even good at trolling
@Ezra Stein: Why not?-Sure we will have to pay health professionals then a lot more and maybe our own are better carers.
@Ezra Stein: How do you propose we generate an income when we are needed in the home 24 hours a day every day?
@Catherine Sims: i doubt there will be anyone queuing up to mind him paid or not
@Ezra Stein: I do hope the day does not come when you may find your self in need for some one to look after you EZRA …. Who would you like to do that for you ? Do you believe they should do it for free ? Do you think you should pay for that service ? Yourself ? Looking after you 24×7 is deny that other person there chance of living a good quality life , with down time , time to go on holidays with friends , etc , are you going to deny them that ? Are you going to deny your brother sister wife children that lifestyle, so that you have 24×7 care … You mau not have the ability to say ship me off to Switzerland , for end of life treatment , so you are will to ask others to be part of premeditated murder. Also ? In the advent of one of your loved ones having to be cared for you are very willing to look after then 24×7 until they die no time off and for free … I must say I’d admire that … Maybe , you think it’s a very easy thing to do see your loved ones in pain yet not being able to help them ….
Close down the H S E AS THEY ARE NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE
Have put a lot of thought to this quandary. In one’s grandparents day, pneumonia was the great gatherer. Now we are keeping people’s bodies alive, long after their mind and spirit has gone. Its actually a gross abuse of human dignity. I think the first change needed, is that of medication administration. I am determined to legally block anyone administering me medication except immediately after an accident or operation. If I can’t take it myself, I don’t want it. I am determined not to have my body farmed, except of course for my ashes which can go under a tree. My mother is cruising along fine in a nursing home with top notch care, at a grand a week. She would have preferred that one of her gandchildren was getting a nice house, as we pass the 300K mark.
i have cared for my parents at home where they got the best of care and attention 24/7 in their familiar surroundings, family able to come and stay over friends calling anytime with no visiting restrictions, family pet which my mom loved came in and out to her through the day.i could go on, but in my opinion more care support needs to be put in place to allow loved ones to be cared for in their own homes,not encouragement of nh placements, but also there needs to be alot more support giving to carers just as there is team effort in nursing homes hospitals etc same should be giving to home carers. proper wages, relief time cover, etc.its the least the government can do..how much does these nursing homes get per resident? and how much of the residents finances is taking in lou? how much government is actually given? wouldnt it make more sense to provide the finance towards enabling our loved ones to remain in their own home happy and well cared for, whilst also assisting the carers needs, i never want to be put in a nh. so i didnt put either of my parents there either.
have your say