Burnham calls for more support for unpaid dementia carers

Politics · First reported 9 Nov, 23:46 · Updated 00:37

Image: Wikimedia Commons · NASA Johnson Space Center · Public domain

Andy Burnham said unpaid carers need greater support and recognition, reflecting on the strain his mother experienced while caring for his father, who had Alzheimer’s. He is backing a campaign offering carers six-week support courses.

Burnham said the family may have focused on his father’s needs and overlooked the emotional toll on his mother, Eileen.
He said the family may have waited too long before moving his father into a care home, which he described as the right option in the circumstances.
The Dementia Carers Together campaign is to offer nationwide six-week courses with support and information about carers’ rights and available services.

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Key facts

Father: Roy had Alzheimer’s and died in September, aged 85.
Carer: Burnham identified his mother, Eileen, as his father’s caregiver.
Campaign: Dementia Carers Together is to offer nationwide six-week courses for relatives and friends of people with dementia.
Course support: Courses are to provide support and information about carers’ rights and available services.