Carers Week 2020

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Carers Week 2020

Monday 8th June marked the start of Carers Week 2020. It is estimated that due to the Coronavirus crisis over 4.5 million people became unpaid carers in a matter of weeks, helping to support elderly and/or otherwise vulnerable people in society.

Care homes have also been a focus in recent weeks due to the initially undocumented levels of contraction and death from Covid-19, and the lack of Personal Protective Equipment which left many carers and residents at risk.

Jon Cruddas MP has been liaising with care providers and local care homes regularly since the beginning of the pandemic and said: "the lack of support and PPE for care homes fast became a crisis within a crisis at the start of the outbreak, things are improving but the Government didn't act fast enough to shield those in care homes. The work of carers on the frontline of this pandemic has been astounding, and I want to thank all of the carers both paid and unpaid across Dagenham and Rainham for the sacrifices they have made to protect our most vulnerable."

Jon has long been a voice for local carers across Dagenham and Rainham. Supporting both the work of young carers in Barking and Dagenham and the Havering Carers Hub.

Jon added: "it is always important to mark Carers Week locally, not least as Havering has the largest ageing population in London. It is also important that we remember the young carers aged 8-18 years who care for relatives ? for who the Covid-19 crisis will have been a particularly difficult time."

If you are caring for a relative and need advice or support, details are below.