A Didcot-based homecare provider has launched a campaign to provide family carers with support.
GoodOaks Homecare’s ‘You Are Not Alone’ campaign intends to provide free advice and help to the approximate five million family carers across the country.
This initiative was launched only two weeks after the Carer’s Leave Act came into effect, which grants carers the right to a week of unpaid leave to provide or arrange care for dependents.
GoodOaks employs more than 400 staff across 22 franchises in central and southern England, supporting more than 500 individuals requiring care.
The launch also follows a GoodOaks-commissioned poll of 1,000 unpaid carers across England revealing that more than half felt unable to address their own health and wellbeing needs, and nearly 90 per cent lacked a "good understanding" of the Carer’s Leave Act.
In the South East, only 10 per cent of unpaid carers has a "good understanding" of the act, and almost 60 per cent felt unable to manage their health and wellbeing.
The ‘You Are Not Alone’ campaign aims at urgently providing this support to family carers.
The campaign’s online resource hub offers a centralised helpline for carers to connect one-on-one with experts.
It also includes a selection of video guides aiming to answer common caregiving questions.
The campaign includes a guide on practical strategies to prevent falls and improve balance and provides guidance on nutritional and hydration support at home.
Various explanatory videos provided by experts, ranging from healthcare specialists to solicitors, cover effective financial planning ahead of, during, and after care provision.
The report shows a significant difference in emotional wellbeing between carers and the public, with carers being more than 50 per cent more likely to feel stressed and twice as likely to feel lonely.
Damian Green MP, chair of the all-party parliamentary group on Adult Social Care, said the report is not "a cheerful and optimistic read".
He said that its findings will make politicians feel "uneasy" and that it will act as a “reminder to policymakers that the millions of unpaid carers deserve not just recognition but practical help to make their lives more comfortable.”
Ben Ashton, founder of GoodOaks Homecare, said: "On behalf of the whole team here at GoodOaks, we are delighted to officially launch the ‘You Are Not Alone’ campaign to provide free help, information, advice and support to the millions of family carers across the country.
“We hope that our range of options will provide support, respite and empowerment to family carers in all manner of scenarios.
"We know how much they sacrifice for those they care for, and hope that the You Are Not Alone campaign can go some way to help.”
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