Telecare features in government’s Carers Strategy

Telecare will play a major role in ensuring that the 5.2m carers in England and Wales get to have a life of their own, according to the government’s newly-published Carers Strategy.

The strategy sets out a ten-year programme to improve the lives of carers and has been backed by £255m of investment to expand short breaks for carers, provide support carers to re-enter the job market and provide more training for GPs.

Telecare is identified as one of four key areas which will drive forward the vision to ensure carers have a life of their own.

The strategy says: “Telecare provides carers with peace of mind and a degree of freedom based on the knowledge that the people being cared for still have support in place if they are not there.”

In the report the government says it has invested £80m in telecare through the Preventative Technology Grant and pledged that it would continue to “promulgate the benefits” of telecare as widely as possible.

The report also highlights the work of the Whole System Demonstrator sites which began last month and will examine how assistive technologies such as telehealth and telecare can support integrated health and social care.

The strategy says 660 carers will be questioned as part of the evaluation of the project which involves more than 6,000 people in Cornwall, Kent and Newham.

There are currently about 5.2 million carers in England and Wales. Nearly half of them provide more than 20 hours care a week and more than a million provide more than 50 hours care per week. The demand for care is predicted to rise, with the number of people over 85 increasing by more than 50% in the next 10 years.

Health minister Ivan Lewis said that carers were at the heart of 21st century families and communities.

He added: "Thousands of carers, irrespective of their roles or postcode, have told us they want a support system that is on their side, rather than a constant struggle and the right to a life of their own alongside their caring responsibilities.

"Today's historic announcement is the beginning of a ten year programme to give carers the recognition and status they deserve.

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Carers at the heart of 21st century families and communities: a caring system on your side, a life of your own