Malnutrition risk to dependents a worry for carers
Almost a third (30%) revealed the person they care for had a weight loss issue, a survey found.
And while 33% of carers use the internet for information on nutrition, only 29% asked their GP.
The survey by the Carers Association and Nutricia, a specialist nutrition company, also discovered many carers did not have a healthy diet.
More than 150 carers took part in the online survey and only one in three said they ate well themselves. Seven out of 10 were too busy and almost half (46%) said they could not afford to eat well.
Nutricia has produced 2,500 information booklets for family cares that will be distributed over the coming days of National Carers Week.
The booklets advise carers on how best to look after their own nutritional needs as well as that of the person they are looking after.
Meanwhile, the Irish Hospice Foundation’s chief executive, Sharon Foley, has called for better end of life supports for family carers. “Often the help that is there is provided on an ad-hoc basis,” she said.
“Evidence shows that giving family carers the right support at the right time can alleviate stress and support them in bereavement.”
As part of National Carers Week, an app is being launched to improve communication for siblings who find themselves supporting their parents.
Called Jointly App, it is designed to make communication and co-ordination between those sharing the care as easy as a text message. The app, which can be downloaded for free, works with a ‘Jointly circle’ that can be purchased for about €3.75 through the Apple or Google Play stores or at www.jointlyapp.com.
Care Alliance Ireland executive director Liam O’Sullivan said that the app could be particularly useful for family members living far away from loved ones.
* National Carers Week, in its 8th year, is co-ordinated by Care Alliance Ireland in partnership with nine charities that support family carers in Ireland.
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