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Wales Online
4 hours ago
- General
- Wales Online
Woman has 600 mile round trip to care for frail parents but gets just £83-a-week
Woman has 600 mile round trip to care for frail parents but gets just £83-a-week She has been forced to give up her job as she juggles her dad's care with regularly making a gruelling 11-hour round-trip from her home in Swansea to Southend to care for her blind mum, but is paid just £1-an-hour Lisa survives on an £83-a-week carers allowance (Image: Carents/ Lisa Ferne ) A woman has revealed how she receives the equivalent of just £1 an hour to care for her frail parents – despite the pair living 300 miles apart. Lisa Ferne felt she had no option other than to stop working to care for her dad after he was diagnosed with dementia. She juggles her dad's care with regularly making a gruelling 11-hour round-trip from her home in Swansea to Southend to care for her blind mum. The 57-year-old, who has a wealth of experience in everything from marketing to photography, said finding a flexible job that also allowed her to care for her parents was 'nigh-on impossible' – so instead she survives on £83-a-week carers allowance. Never miss a Swansea story by signing up to our newsletter here 'I've looked everywhere, including remotely, but it is nigh-on impossible to find anything other than cleaning – and I do enough of that for my dad,' she said. 'I spend at least 80 hours a week caring for dad, and all I can claim from the Government is £83. "But I'm not alone, and that's the saddest thing – there are far too many people in the same boat without enough support. Article continues below 'We do it out of love, but there isn't any social life anymore. I got a dog just to get me out of the house. 'It is what it is, but you can easily lose your own sense of identity if you can't escape the caring world. "I've got skills that I'd love to use, and a job would help return that identity – but juggling both just isn't realistic.' Lisa pictured with her mum (Image: Carents/ Lisa Ferne ) Ms Ferne revealed her struggle ahead of Carers Week, as a poll by a national organisation created to support unpaid adult carers like her found that millions of working-age Brits were being forced to derail their careers due to their caring responsibilities. The national organisation Carents, revealed that 70% of adult carers had been forced to alter their jobs due to the role. Its poll also revealed how 21% of adult carers left work or retired early, and 22% switched to less demanding or more flexible roles, whilst 27% reduced their working hours. Lisa Ferne felt she had no option other than to stop working to care for her dad after he was diagnosed with dementia (Image: Carents/ Lisa Ferne ) 'Our figures show the staggering scale in which adults are having their careers derailed due to the emotional pull of their caring duties,' said Dr Jackie Gray, founder of Carents. 'It shouldn't and doesn't have to be this way, and it is vital that there is more support provided to adult carers – or carents – for them to care alongside their career, rather than in place of it. 'And work isn't just about pay. It provides structure, social interaction and mental stimulation and many carents don't appreciate the long-term impact quitting work will have on their wellbeing.' Ms Ferne added: "I and the other carents across the country want the Government to act and do more for us, to allow us to care for our loved ones – but to help us continue the careers we enjoy.' Article continues below Get Swansea news updates on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here . We occasionally treat members to special offers, promotions and ads from us and our partners. See our Privacy Notice .
ITV News
4 days ago
- Health
- ITV News
Woman travelling 250 miles between Swansea and Essex to care for elderly parents
Lisa is caring for her elderly parents at both ends of the M4. A woman from Swansea is travelling 250 miles between her home and Essex each week to care for her elderly mother and father. Lisa Ferne, who provides full-time care to her father in Swansea, also travels 250 miles to Southend, Essex, each week to care for her mother. Lisa, from Loughor, gave up her career in politics four years ago to look after her father after he developed dementia. Months later, her mother lost her sight, meaning she needed to provide care to both elderly parents. Like the sitcom Gavin and Stacey, Lisa maintains a long-distance relationship by travelling from her home in south Wales to Essex, driven by her love for both parents. 'You've got to face the M4 and the M25, it can take me anywhere up to nine hours for that journey," Lisa told ITV News. 'It takes a lot out of you being in the car for that amount of time. You get to the other side exhausted, you're sleeping in a different bed, and you are trying to catch up with everything mum needs the same day, so quite often I don't sleep very well.' Lisa, 57, says despite being highly skilled, she has found it impossible to re-enter the workforce because of a lack of jobs flexible enough to support her caring responsibilities. New research by the support group Carents has found that an estimated 400,000 workers in the UK retire early every year to care for their parents, while 44% of employers say losing staff to caring duties has harmed their business. Lisa says her full-time caring duties have altered her life. 'It's hard sometimes, as you don't have contact with other human beings. You're fighting with medical people to try and get appointments or to try and get the right treatment for your parents. 'You don't get to see your friends anymore, family visits become few and far between. It becomes all-consuming.' Despite having a supportive partner at home, Lisa says help and support are difficult to come by, with a feeling that the care she provides goes unnoticed. 'It's good to know there are others on the same journey as you, but it's really frustrating and upsetting that you have to fight to even get basic support sometimes from organisations like local authorities, who have adult care services set up, but they haven't got enough time or the people to give you the support you so desperately need.' Dr Jackie Gray, founder of Carents said: 'Lisa's story is very special, but she is not unusual in our communities; we are seeing this every day. "Families are a lot more dispersed today, and we don't all live in the same home, street or city as our extended family. 'We commonly see carents travelling the whole country to keep their loved ones safe. But that is love, you go to great lengths to try and support those you love, but it is a massive undertaking. "It does take its toll in the long run, and it's known that there are profound long-term impacts on the health and well-being of carents.'
