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Because my daughter is my web master and is now unable due to her severe illness to help me with carers-healingspur, and my own caring duties and health prevent me from doing as much as I would like, I will now in the future keep healingspur much as it is except from now on the monthly open letter will be discontinued and I encourage everyone who is interested to refer to past open letters in archives on my article page where there are many useful links. My husband is no longer editing the latest news, although I will occasionally write something that may well be of interest.

Since carers- healingspur first began I have drawn attention to the plight of those suffering from Alzheimer?s and dementia and their carers, and thankfully it has become more prevalent in the national newspapers and on television with regard to their many problems due to the lack of consideration by those in government and the apathy and misunderstanding of many people who have regarded Alzheimer?s and dementia as just part of the aging process, and not as the horrible illness it is. There is no doubt that in the UK carers and their loved ones have been betrayed by the government and whatever the review by the government is it has got to be better than what they now propose.

How insulting that those prisoners in jail receive £33 per week while those people in care homes recently received a paltry 75 pence increase and are only allowed £21 90 pence per week. 60,000 people and more who worked all their lives and saved for the future, some who are war veterans, have now had to sell their homes in order to pay £500 per week or more for care, most often the burden of responsibility for sufferers at home falls on their relative carer who gets little or no help medically or financially. There are post code lotteries where in some areas people are entitled to drugs and help where in other areas they are not entitled to the same, is this fair?. Most elderly people want every working family to pay an aging tax this may seem hard during this world recession, but if people are unwilling to do this it is a good thing to ask themselves where they will be in 10 to 20 years time. More Alzheimers and dementia people are being diagnosed, and this already affects one in three people and their carers can no longer cope, it is absolute foolishness and heartless to ignore this as it affects everyone in some way.

If anyone wants to read the horrific consequences of this situation about how it affects both carers and those with Alzheimers there are many of these facts related by the people who are suffering published on other care websites, links given on carers-healingspur, I am a carer myself and I have tried to draw attention and encourage those who work for justice, and also give links of help and a chance to enjoy some lighter subjects, carers-healingspur is a website free to everyone and money donations are not asked for.

Many thousands even millions of young people will be going through a crisis in this world recession, they are our future, most are courageous and should not have their youth taken away from them as young carers or in any other way. They need to be encouraged and enabled to enjoy their youth without being taken advantage of, or being left to feel that turning to drugs and other forms of harmful pursuits is their best option. May they be given strength and guidance and a righteous example by their elders, and those who have positions of power in government Please do not ignore the big picture that confronts everyone young and old.

Important letter for carers and all families

As I mentioned to you, following the publication of the National Carers Strategy Review (see link below for summary of the document)

http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsand ... /DH_085345

Carers forums are trying to drum up interest in a carers protest march alongside other methods of campaigning, carers in general feel very let down by the findings of this document, especially as Carers Allowance has not been addressed, this is a 10 year strategy but most of us feel that CA was the overriding problem, not only by it's low amount (as a 24/7 carer I get 30p an hour) but that the overlapping rule which removes CA once the carer gets to retirement age has also been ignored.

There are many threads on this, here are just a few - some can be viewed without registering for the forums but if anyone wants to contribute then they do have to join the respective board.

http://www.carersuk.org/Forums/viewtopic.php?t=4958
http://tonyrhodes.f.xaviermedia.com/vie ... tonyrhodes
http://carersvoices.myfanforum.org/PROT ... ut318.html
http://carerwatchdotcom.myfineforum.org/about280.html

by Paula H.

Reply from Pamela

Hi Paula

Thank you for posting this, I am very interested as you know and I would like to put your post on my website where it will remain rather than latest news, I am very happy to add myself to any protest that is helpful to carers who are desperately doing their best to bring their plight to the notice of the government, considering that they are bound inextricably to their caring duties and many times are ill themselves it is obvious to everyone and those in authority that they are victims of injustice, we need everyone to understand that this concerns all families and that we need the support from everyone not just those in the position or situation as a carer, this will affect everyone in the country sooner or later, it is time everyone not just carers realised this, carers may well find themselves in a helpless situation but not a hopeless one if people will in spite of the problems that beset them today give their support to carers now before they may easily become one themselves in a future that can only get worse.

God Bless you

from Pamela