Carers Scotland release State of Caring 2023 report
- Area of Work: Policy and Research
- Type: News Item
- Published: 23rd November 2023
Read more about the State of Caring report, which delves into the health of unpaid carers and the support they receive.
Carers Scotland have recently released their State of Caring 2023 report which discusses findings from the State of Caring Scotland survey. This survey investigated the health of carers in Scotland, in addition to the support they receive from local authorities, health and social care partnerships, and the NHS.
Carers Scotland undertake their State of Caring survey each year, and it is Scotland’s most comprehensive research into the lives and experiences of unpaid carers. The survey was carried out between June and August 2023 and completed by 1,771 unpaid carers. Their voices can be heard throughout the report in the form of quotes.
In October 2023, Carers Scotland released a report titled “State of Caring 2023: The financial impact of caring in Scotland” which revealed that many carers were struggling with poverty and financial issues and that the cost of living crisis continued to affect unpaid carers and those that they care for. This current report builds upon this, highlighting the health and social care crisis. The report focuses on the difficulties faced by carers in accessing services and support they require to continue providing care, as well as to care for themselves.
Key findings from the report include:
- 54% of carers felt their physical health suffered as a result of unpaid care work.
- 20% of carers have suffered a physical injury from their caring roles.
- 37% of carers on carers allowance say their mental health is bad or very bad.
- 36% of carers have had thoughts related to self harm or suicide.
- 35% of carers have not had a break from caring in the past year.
- 30% of carers have been waiting over a year for specialist NHS treatment.
- 24% of carers said they had to stop or reduce the amount of care they provide because of their poor mental health.
- 60% of carers were not informed or involved in hospital discharge.
- Only 18% of carers who had someone discharged from hospital said they received sufficient support.
Find out more about the report here.
A full version of the report in both PDF and Word versions can be found below.
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