The Mental Health Pandemic in Carers

The mental health awareness campaigns, days and initiatives don't seem to help many depressed stressed and burnt-out carers

Currently there's a mental health pandemic among those who care for our loved ones Long days, nights and weeks seem to blend into a never-ending loop

The Mental Health Foundation stated that 71% of carers have poor physical or mental health" The figure may come as a shock but if you were to speak to a carer they would assume the percentage would be higher

Care agencies and care homes need to do more to look after the workforce that enables us to keep functioning Who would look after our grandparents, parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, and old friends without the carers work? We couldn t continue working if they weren t there to do their job

A1 Care (www a1care co uk) claims that one of the critical reasons carers are struggling right now is due to the lack of staff within the industry For many years now and especially since the pandemic fewer individuals have chosen to become a carer

The current turnover rate in social care is approximately 31% and rising which is more than double the UK cross-industry average of 15% 60% of those who leave their job leave care altogether In the past few years 50 000 carers have left the industry leaving over 165 000 jobsfigures released by Skills for Care

If the industry were inundated with carers they would thrive and there would be less overtime more time off and a more manageable workload Despite the benefits of being a carer, such as good pay, flexibility opportunities to build long-lasting relationships and being in a fulfilling role, many are choosing a 9-5, which they can do from home So what can they do?

As most care agencies and care homes struggle to gain applications from within the UK, we suggest having a programme to hire from overseas Offer visa sponsorship and go the extra mile to attract suitable candidates by providing a relocation package

What your relocation package should include:

Support with relocation for the carers families

Paid plane ticket and airport pick up

Temporary housing until they can find a permanent residence

On-call assistance for any issues or support they may need

An introduction to the area they will be living in and a warm welcome into the community

By providing an attractive and valuable offer care agencies and care homes will be able to recruit the excellent carers they need

More carers mean a more manageable workload and more time to focus on quality

Which then will begin to tackle the current carers physical and mental wellbeing They will be able to work more reasonable hours have time for themselves and their family and most importantly rest

55% of carers reported to The Mental Health Foundation (www mentalhealth org uk) that they suffered from depression due to their caring role Care agencies and care homes need to implement these hiring measures to decrease this number and significantly save many carers from burnout

For all of the carer employers reading this there are many warning signs you can look out for among your carers Spotting these signs will lead to immediate support as opposed to a carer being afraid to talk out and further burdened

Signs you can look for:

Being down

Less talkative and unenthusiastic

Significant tiredness

Poor concentration or mistakes in their day-to-day work

Withdrawing from people

• Constantly worried

Frantic and stressed

• Lack of confidence

We know hiring overseas is a lengthy process so we suggest doing these 5 things to support in the meantime

Appoint a mental health representative within the workforce

Introduce a scheme where they can talk to a wellbeing counsellor at the company s expense if needed

Offer paid mental health days where they can take the day off Remind them of their fantastic work and reassure them their workload will get easier

• Encourage them to participate in wellness activities such as walking yoga and meditating

Right now carer employers need to lead the way with the change in the industry Too many have let their workers struggle

Small steps every day can lead to change

Eventually with these turnarounds we won t need to resort to drastic measures, yet focus on the upkeep

Let s stand together to take care of our carers