"The
needs of carers in rural areas were top of the agenda when local MP
Jeremy Wright visited a new support group in Kineton.
A record turn-out of the Carers4Carers group
on Friday (March 22) heard what the Government aims to do to make life less
difficult for them and was then invited to raise issues which would provide
feedback for the policymakers.
Mr Wright, the MP for Kenilworth and
Southam, said: “The bill is what it says – a draft- and it is important that we
listen to the views of people who are actually doing the caring so we can
tailor what we do to help them as best we can.
“The
Government recognizes that if it can help carers to help people stay in their
own homes for longer that will save the taxpayer billions of pounds in
residential care costs.”
And Mr Wright was quick to acknowledge that
carers in rural areas often faced additional problems because of isolation or
remoteness.
He added: “People in rural communities are
also less inclined to identify themselves as carers because they are more
willing to accept caring as part of their family or community responsibility.
But they need help for their own sake and we need to train GPs in rural areas
to identify this and trigger the particular support they need.”
