Care Alliance Ireland

Showing our Care for Carers

National Carers Week June 9th – June 15th

'We must care for carers too' – that's the message from Fair City's Bella and Suzanne Doyle who will join Care Alliance Ireland and 13 Regional and National Carers organisations, to launch this years National Carers Week, which runs from June 9th-15th. The well known actors are attending the launch at 11am in Buswell's Hotel, Dublin to highlight the contribution of the 161,000 family carers in Ireland and to call on government for more support services for carers. Dozens of local events are taking place nationwide.

Carers often put the needs of those they care for ahead of their own physical or emotional needs.  Recent research undertaken by Care Alliance Ireland shows that family carers are at high risk of experiencing isolation, stress and depression. Family carers also report considerably lower quality of life and poorer health compared to the non-carer population. 

Actor Jim Bartley, who plays Bella Doyle on RTE's Fair City, has gained a new understanding of what it takes to care for a loved one since his on-screen wife Rita suffered a stroke.  "It is a real challenge to play the family carer role as an actor. To care for a loved one in real life, must be  massively more challenging" says Bartley. (Captioned pictures attached)

Care Alliance believes that the government's proposed Carer Strategy will be the key to effecting positive changes for carers and calls for an ambitious and forward looking approach for the coming decade.

National Carers Week

The following organisations are partners in the week. The Carers Association, Caring for Carers Ireland, The Alzheimer Society, The Irish Red Cross, Headway, Bri, Newry and Mourne Carers, Aware, ExtraCare, Age Action Ireland, Independent Age, The Irish Hospice Foundation, Cork City Partnership.

For a full list of events Nationwide see www.carersweek.ie