AN EXTRA £1.5m is being invested in support for carers who look after loved ones in Glasgow.

The city’s Health and Social Care Partnership (GCHSCP) will bring in additional staff to help young people and adults as they look after relatives.

It follows consultation with carers about the pressures they face in their caring roles.

Almost £430,000 will be spent on a project which helps older people to live at home for longer by providing emergency help when the person is at risk of being admitted to a care home.

Support will also be offered when someone is being discharged from hospital or returning home after a temporary stay in a care home.

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A further £467,000 is to be spent increasing support for families via targeted and personalised early intervention and crisis prevention work.

Six new family support workers – purchased for £210,000 from the Third Sector – will take on any ‘inappropriate care’ tasks being carried out by children.

An additional health care liaison worker will also be funded to support carers – at a cost of £26,000 in 2019/20.

Carers are to be provided with extra short breaks through funding of £300,000. The money will be split between the city’s children and families and adult and older person’s teams.

GCHSCP say research shows that unpaid carers are a third more likely to be in poor health than non-carers and carer breakdown is a main factor in hospital and care home admissions.

Spouses are the fastest growing group of carers while over half of older carers are providing more than 35 hours of care a week.

People often continue to struggle on despite reaching crisis point, GCHSCP say, which can eventually result in their loved one being admitted to hospital or placed in a care home.

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Unpaid carers often have to juggle the role with other commitments such as their own jobs, studies or children.

Susanne Millar, the partnership’s Interim Chief Officer, said: “This extra funding recognises the needs of young and adult carers. It will help them safeguard their own health and well-being while carrying out this vital role and also enable young carers to enjoy time with their peers.”

The additional investment has been approved by GCHSCP’s Integration Joint Board.