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Carers Week - 8-14 June - is an annual campaign aimed at raising awareness of caring, and highlighting the challenges carers face.

With more and more people living longer, the number responsible for looking after elderly loved ones is growing rapidly.

“We know the challenges people face - particularly when they must combine the pressures of working full-time with caring for parents who may no longer be capable of living independently,”says Rob Dolbear, Managing Director of time4care.

“That’s why we developed time4care. Its main purpose is to provide workers with a safety blanket - allowing their employers to support them when things get tough.

“Not everyone wants to admit when they’re struggling to cope with the rigours of worrying about how their parents might be managing, when they’re supposed to be concentrating on work - and that’s why Carers Week is important.

“It raises awareness, highlighting the reality that thousands of people are experiencing this kind of challenge. It’s certainly nothing to be ashamed of, and help is available for anyone who needs it.

“Services like time4care provide a complete package of expert financial and legal assistance. But that’s not all. Having access to an impartial advisor - who will guide you through the entire process of deciding what type of care is needed, choosing providers and then making arrangements - can be a real source of comfort.

“We offer this to businesses to use as an employee benefit because one in seven employees is caring for a loved-one - and we feel that providing this kind of support to them is a valuable addition to any workplace offering.

“Employees making use of this service may possess a wealth of knowledge and experience  - and hold senior positions within their organisations. So losing them because they feel they have to make a choice between work and caring, is a real blow. Retaining such valuable expertise is a key consideration for companies.

“Having all these benefits in place - and then tailoring your communications about them to specific groups within your workforce - ensures that all employees across your organisation, not just certain elements, feel valued and understood. And that can only be good for business.”

carersweek.org