Swansea MS Calls for Additional Counselling and Respite for Carers

Dr Dai Lloyd Plaid Cymru Member of the Senedd for South Wales West has called on the Labour Welsh Government to provide additional counselling and respite for carers over the coming winter months. Dr Lloyd posed the question to First Minister, Mark Drakeford in the Senedd today (Tuesday 20th October) following an investigation from Alzheimer’s Society Cymru which found that 95% of family carers surveyed said that extra caring hours during the Covid period had negatively impacted their mental health. Dr Lloyd said that there was a need to act now to avoid a future mental health crisis in the caring community, stating;

“When you have a report published showing that 69% of family dementia carers feel constantly exhausted, 49% feeling depressed and 50% developing sleep problems it is clear that we need to offer solutions in the form of counselling and respite or we risk making the problem worse and having a mental health crisis on our hands.

These people are providing an essential service and it is our duty to ensure their mental wellbeing is looked after so that they are able to continue to look after their loved ones.”

Dr Lloyd Chairs the Senedd’s Health Committee and is also a former GP in Swansea and as such as a special interest in these issues.

Dr Lloyd added;

“The report states that half of respondents were caring for someone for over 100 hours a week, up from 40% prior to lockdown, this equates to 4.8 million extra caring hours across Wales. This is not sustainable by any means.

As Chair of the Health Committee in the Senedd and a former GP I will do everything I can to ensure that we are looking after those who look after the most vulnerable in our communities. And I am today calling on the Welsh Government to ensure there are sufficient provisions for carers to make use of.”