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care, and balancing education and care which is having a markedly negative impact on their life chances: Carers who are supported by their communities are more than three times as likely to always be able to maintain a healthy lifestyle (Carers UK, 2016).
Local carer feedback supports this:
“As a carer attempting to get understanding, advice, support and emergency care from the ‘community’ – such as GP, public transport, social services, dentist pharmacies and hospitals – can be very challenging, exhausting and beyond stressful”.
“Although a commissioned service is “marvellous”, what is needed, is someone to take the cared for person out so that the carer can have time at home on their own”.
Source: Hywel Dda Regional IiC (2016)
Young Adult Carers (YACs) (18 -25 year olds) face many of the same challenges as adult carers including having their own physical or mental health problems. In addition, they are four times more likely to drop out of college or university than a student without caring responsibilities. Only 36% of YACs feel able to balance their commitments with their caring role compared to 53% without a caring role. Many YACs in West Wales live in rural and remote communities and financial hardship can make it difficult to access services because of travel costs and time restraints. YACs need advice and information about education, health, employment, benefits, relationships, respite and support around their caring role and transition to an independent adult life.
Young carers (5 -17 year olds) face additional challenges of problems at school, with completing homework and in getting qualifications, isolation from other children and other family members, being stigmatised or bullied, lack of time for play, sport or leisure activities, feeling that there is nobody there for them, and that professionals do not listen to them. Young carers can also experience problems moving into adulthood, including with finding work, their own home and establishing relationships.
One Young carer said:
“I’ve gone from 12 to 30 and it’s hard. I want to live a normal life. I want to be understood”.
Source: Children’s Society, 2012
West Wales Population Assessment March 2017 Carers