It’s difficult to get an accurate current figure of the number of people who care for loved ones. Many would not define themselves as carers, but would see it as something you just do. In Wales, there are an estimated 400,000 unpaid carers, which is the highest proportion in the UK. In my own city of Newport alone, there are an estimated 22,000. Many of these people fall into the category of the ‘sandwich generation’, those people who are caring for multiple generations—elderly parents, adult children and grandchildren—at a time in their life that they were expected to still be working, or enjoying their retirement. Unpaid carers in Wales are estimated to provide 96 per cent of all care services in the community, and Carers Wales estimated that they saved £8.1 billion to the Welsh economy per year. They’re an unpaid workforce that underpins our NHS and social care system, and there is no doubt that we could not do without them.

I believe it’s our duty to lead the way in protecting and supporting carers. It’s important to note that the Welsh Government has already made incredible strides. In the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2015, for the first time the same rights are extended to carers as those they care for. This is an excellent opportunity to support our carers, but today I want to focus on older people who care, and what happens after their time as a carer comes to an end. In particular, how do we support our carers at a time when they feel isolated and like they’ve lost their identity? We need to acknowledge the impact caring has on someone’s health, their future prospects, and the importance of respite. We must recognise the unique expertise carers have, and how valuable they are to our community and society, and, importantly, we need to think about how we can harness these skills, and prepare carers for the future, to ensure that no-one is left behind.

It’s a common feeling that, after caring for an extended period, many carers feel like they’ve lost their own identity. The experience of one of my constituents illustrates this. At the over 50s information event in Newport last year, I met a woman who’d been a full-time carer. She devoted her life after leaving school to caring for her mum, and then afterwards her husband. When I met her, sadly both of her beloved family members had passed away. She felt as though she had nothing. As a full-time carer she found it difficult to maintain a social life, and had never been able to start her own career. After spending most of her life caring for loved ones who depended entirely upon her, being a carer defined her. When those she cared for passed away, she felt that she had no purpose. At 55 she was healthy and keen to be active in society, but with no way to use the skills that she’d gained. This is just one example of many thousands of people who, after doing something that as a society I believe we should value immensely, felt left behind with little to look forward to in the future.

The impact that caring can have on both physical and mental health can be debilitating and long lasting. This can be particularly damaging to older carers. Conditions like arthritis, high blood pressure, back problems, are common amongst older carers, and, if left without the right support, the physical process of caring can exacerbate this even further. Carers can feel mentally exhausted, which is often worsened by worry, anxiety, and lack of sleep caused by the challenges of caring. In a survey conducted by Age UK of older carers, 75 per cent of those between 60 and 69 said caring had a negative impact on their mental health. We do not want to see anybody in a position where they’re sacrificing their own health, and if the health of the carer fails then it often puts the cared for in a crisis situation.

The physical and mental impact caring can have is demonstrated by another constituent of mine who was working abroad as a secondary school teacher when she came home to care for her 85-year-old mother who has dementia. Her 86-year-old father had previously cared for his wife until he fell and broke his ribs. Her father sadly died. My constituent gave up her job, moved in with her mother, and became a full-time carer. The physical challenges of caring had an impact, and she began to lose her confidence and became isolated, struggling to take part in social events as she would need to pay someone to look after her mother. Although she had some carers on some days, she had very little respite. Her mother did not sleep because of the dementia, which meant that they were both up all night, making it incredibly difficult to cope. My constituent’s mother died just before her ninetieth birthday, after nearly five years of being full-time cared for. Her isolation increased as care workers stopped visiting; the house was empty. She no longer had caring tasks and her allowance stopped. She was expected to go onto jobseeker’s allowance. Being a full-time carer changed my constituent’s life. After a successful career as a teacher, my constituent felt there was no way to get back on track again due to her age. She’d applied for several jobs, but had been unsuccessful, and this is heartbreaking, as she gave up a bright career to care for her mum when she needed her the most. Again, this is just one example of many.

Carers know the importance of respite. It can be a lifeline to give the carer space and time to continue to be able to look after them in their own home. It’s a big step for many people to feel that they can leave their loved one with someone else, but, once the first step is taken, it’s an essential way of supporting the carer. Respite cannot be a one-size-fits-all model. Flexible forms of respite have to be looked at to ensure that it works for each individual carer and situation.

I also think that it’s important that we do all we can to support those who have a caring responsibility to stay in their jobs for as long as possible. Initiatives to reward employers that support carers and recognise the importance of retaining experienced staff members must be looked at.

In my constituency, Aneurin Bevan health board have launched a new initiative, Ffrind i mi, which is looking for volunteers to match with anyone who’s feeling lonely and isolated. The idea is to say, ‘Let me introduce you to a friend of mine’. Working with Newport City Council community connectors and other befriending services, they want to get to as many people as possible. Initiatives like these can make a huge difference to carers, who can be isolated.

Now, more than ever, it’s vital that we harness the expertise of these highly skilled carers, while simultaneously providing for carers once their cared for has passed away. The Open University in Wales developed a free online course last year designed specifically for carers called, ‘What about me?’ The point of the course was to help carers identify the skills they have and help them to return to education or employment. Again, this is something that I feel needs to be supported and promoted. Indeed, I feel we need to go further to explore potential training opportunities and qualifications for our unpaid carers. I wholeheartedly believe that, after years of devoting their lives to others, carers deserve the recognition and future prospects that a qualification can give. They deserve respite, they deserve recognition, but, most of all, they deserve our unwavering support.