With the recent suspension of the Community Support for Older People Scheme, family carers are set to come under further pressure.

“The suspension of this scheme, which provided over 11,000 older people last year with social alarms and pendants, giving them security and peace of mind when they are alone, will certainly have a negative impact on carers,” says Catherine Cox of The Carers Association, a national voluntary organisation that offers practical and emotional support for family carers.

This small aid, which cost the Government €4.2 million each year, allowed older people a measure of independence and enabled family carers some precious time out and peace of mind knowing that sick and elderly relatives could get immediate help in the event of a fall or other emergency. The withdrawal of the scheme is a further attack on older people and their carers, says The Carers Association.

“Over 35 per cent of carers in this country, who look after older or sick family members, are over 65 themselves,” says Cox. “Caring can be a very stressful role and, as the carers start to get older themselves, the impact on their physical and emotional health is huge.”

There are 161,000 family carers in this country, providing around 3.5 million hours of unpaid work every week. “Only 40,000 of them get the carer’s allowance, which is just €220 per week or €239 for over 65s,” says Cox.

As our population continues to age, there is growing concern that carers are also getting older and more vulnerable. According to a recent report by the Centre for Aging Research and Development in Ireland, half of women carers aged 65-plus in receipt of the carers allowance spent more than 43 hours per week caring for a sick or older relative. Some 33 per cent of women carers spending more than 43 hours caring per week were aged 55-64.

That doesn’t take into account the 100,000 people (62 per cent of them women aged 45-54) who, according to the 2006 Census, described themselves as unpaid carers, putting in what often amounts to a full week’s work looking after sick and older relatives.

“There are many people out there in their 60s and beyond who are looking after parents in their 80s. The practical issues of lifting, shopping, cooking and cleaning for sick and aged family members becomes so much more problematic as we age,” says Cox.

A research report by Care Alliance Ireland on the health and well-being of family carers (October 2008) found that, compared to non-carers, carers suffered from high levels of stress, headaches, lower back pain, anxiety and depression and were constantly tired from being on call day and night.

Apart from the physical strain, it’s not uncommon for carers to feel a sense of resentment, say the experts. After a busy working life or decades of rearing a family, having to spend long hours looking after parents and other family members often leaves the carer feeling depressed and frustrated at their lack of free time, none of which is much benefit to the person being cared for.