Alzheimer's diseaseTwo-thirds of carers who look after a relative suffering from Alzheimer's disease do so all day, every day and nearly half of them claim they do not have enough income to care for the patients effectively.
According to the Carers' Association, recent research on people caring for patients with Alzheimer's has revealed what the association calls a "stark picture" of what a typical carer is like and the difficulty of the job that he or, more often, she has to do. The findings show that a typical Alzheimer's disease carer is female and looks after her mother in the moderate to severe stages of the disease in her own home, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for more than six years.
"Carers play a major role in looking after loved ones requiring high levels of care such as older people with diseases like Alzheimer's disease, people with disabilities or terminally ill children with special needs," said Mary Kennedy, patron of the Carers' Association.
"Too often, the role and needs of the carer are neglected with carers feeling isolated and stressed. The Carers' Association aims to provide emotional and practical support while also lobbying for recognition of the valuable contribution to Irish society," she said.
The average age of the population is rising (it is estimated that by the year 2011, people over 65 will represent more than 14 per cent of the population compared with around 11 per cent today).
According to the Alzheimer's Association of Ireland, there are around 35,000 people suffering from the disease in this country - a figure that is likely to rise as the population ages.
Dementia is the fourth largest killer disease in Ireland.
The life of a carer looking after Alzheimer's patients with symptoms such as memory loss, confusion, disorientation, speech problems and impaired judgment as well as several related physical problems can be very upsetting, particularly when caring for a loved one like a parent or other elderly relative.
A lack of support structures is often cited as the main difficulty facing carers in Ireland. In a recent survey, nearly three-quarters of all patients who spent time in hospital or a nursing home at some stage of their disease had done so for more than a month and the main reason cited for this was to give the carer a break.
The same study, carried out late last year, revealed that 78 per cent of carers were female and 62 per cent of them did not work outside the home and so relied on other forms of income to survive and provide for the patient. Some 45 per cent of carers said they did not have enough income to care for the patient.
The Carers' Association is conducting a member-recruitment drive and has launched an information pack as part of its campaign to encourage carers to join the association.
Sponsored by Lundbeck, the pack includes information on the support services the association provides to its members such as training, education, information on rights and entitlements, discounts and a home respite service.
"Carers of people with Alzheimer's disease face a significant challenge in coping with the changes in a loved one that the disease brings about. As the disease progresses, the burden for carers increases and it is important that carers seek support through organisations such as the Carers' Association.
"While there is no cure, medicines can play a role in stabilising the condition which provides a benefit to both carer and patient," said Eithne Boyan, managing director of Lundbeck.