Within the Republic of Ireland 10% of all adults, are unpaid family carers. Over 30,000 people die in Ireland each year, and as more and more people spend the last part of their lives at home, families are often the primary caregivers. To support them in this role the All Ireland Institute of Hospice and Palliative Care (AIIHPC) is launching new resources as part of National Carers Week which runs from June 12th to 18th.
Caring for Carers is a new website dedicated to carers and family caring providing core information for family members or friends who are providing support to a person who needs palliative care. The website has eight sections and contains videos, downloads, links and information that has been created by a group of experts, including carers, from across the island of Ireland.
Caring for Carers was created by a team led by Professor Peter Hudson from Queen’s University Belfast in collaboration with AIIHPC and a working group made up of family carers and former carers, carer organisations, health and social care professionals and charities. The site is hosted on www.thepalliativehub.com an all-island gateway to palliative care information.
Speaking at the launch of the website, Karen Charnley, AIIHPC Head of Institute, said:
“We are delighted to announce the launch of Caring for Carers, which represents another key stepping stone in providing information to the public on palliative care. Family carers play a huge and critical role in caring for people with palliative care needs and it is fitting we should launch this website during Carers Week 2017 which is dedicated to the amazing work that carers do on a daily basis.”
“One of the core goals of AIIHPC is to foster strong cross-sector partnership and collaboration and Caring for Carers provides another example of the strength of this approach. It also adds another core component to The Palliative Hub and brings it closer to being the comprehensive resource for people with palliative care needs.”
Professor Peter Hudson, Queen’s University Belfast who led on the development of the resource, stated:
“One of the most important things people confronting the end of their lives want is to be assured that their family will be well supported. Family caregivers need to know how to access support services and where to obtain key information to assist them manage the role of supporting their relative or friend. This new resource ‘Caring for Carers’ meets these needs by offering an evidenced based, reliable and easily accessible resource for family caregivers of people with life limiting conditions.”
Liam O’Sullivan, Co-coordinator for National Carers Week, Ireland said:
“We are delighted to be part of the launch of this new collaborative resource during National Carers Week. Family Carers are the backbone of health and social care, even more so as people with life limiting conditions seek to live out their lives at home, where the vast majority wish to be.”
Over the coming months Caring for Carers will continue to be developed with additional information and stories from people who have cared for or are caring for someone with palliative care needs. The site is available at carers.thepalliativehub.com
Further Information
Gareth Wescott | Digital Manager & Developer
All Ireland Institute of Hospice and Palliative Care (AIIHPC)
Gwescott@aiihpc.org T: +353 (0)1 491 2948 M: +353 (0)86 0569304 |
AIIHPC, Second Floor, Education & Research Centre, Our Lady’s Hospice, Harold’s Cross, Dublin 6W
www.aiihpc.org | www.palliativehub.com
Liam O’Sullivan
Executive Director
Care Alliance Ireland
ndo@carealliance.ie T: + 353 1 874 7776 M: + 353 87 207 3265
Coleraine House, Coleraine Street, Dublin 7