Short film brings home reality of cuts facing family carers

By JACQUELINE HOGGE A SHORT film showcasing the reality facing carers has been launched as part of a campaign to reinstate respite grants in the next budget. The Give Carers a Break campaign is aimed at protecting vital supports and services for family carers, of whom there are over 10,500 in Galway alone. Over the past 18 months, the respite care grant has been reduced by 19 per cent, with housing adaptation grants and mobility allowances also affected by budgetary cuts. The film, also titled Give Carers A Break, features three families who explain the effects cutbacks have had on their quality of living.[private] Carolyn Akintola, a wheelchair user, provides full-time care to her mum, Elsie, also a wheelchair user who has Parkinsonâ€â„¢s, kidney failure and Diverticular Disease. Teen carer Sam Norris, 14, helps his mother Antoinette care for his sister Demi who has Cohenâ€â„¢s Syndrome and Margaret Whyte cares for her son Ronan, who is wheelchair bound, autistic and has Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. The Carers Association is asking people to share the film through YouTube to highlight the plight of family carers. The charity is also asking people to join its petition calling on the government to review the cut to the respite care grant by registering their support on www.carersassociation.ie. 6,500 child carers â€Å“With Ireland facing an ageing population in a time of mass emigration and 6,500 children providing unpaid care to family members, family carers have never needed governmentâ€â„¢s support more,â€Â said Catherine Cox, Head of Communications, The Carers Association. â€Å“Family carers provide unpaid care to societyâ€â„¢s older people, those terminally ill and with disabilities, saving the health budget over four billion euro each year - yet they have no legal entitlement to holidays, breaks, time in lieu or even a day off from this demanding role. â€Å“The cumulative effect of recent cuts has been to make a mockery of governmentâ€â„¢s stated policy to allow as many people as possible to be cared for and grow old in their own homes.â€Â Last Decemberâ€â„¢s budget saw the respite care grant reduced by over €300 while the mobility allowance and motorised transport grant were abolished. The household benefit package was also affected with reduced phone and electricity allowances, while increased prescription charges and cuts to home help hours have also affected families. â€Å“We are currently aware of cases where individuals are being told that the state will provide €800 per week if they put their loved one into residential care because there is a statutory entitlement for such a payment, but it cannot find €200 per week to provide the services which would allow the same person to stay at home,â€Â added Catherine. â€Å“It is completely unacceptable that Government continues to target this vulnerable group with cuts and makes no sense, given the increased pressures this creates on our health services when family carers are forced to put loved ones into care. â€Å“We believe that a minor amendment to the relevant legislation would make it possible to provide increased support to more individuals within a smaller budget.â€Â To view the Give Carers a Break film, log onto

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