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Embracing carers

27th November 2019
Posted by Aston Avery

Carers often get little support or recognition for the significant contribution they make to the life of a loved one. Despite them being essential for improving the lives of those being cared for, carers in the UK are still incredibly undervalued in society.

According to Carers UK, 22% of unpaid carers are looking after someone for more than 50 hours a week.² Embracing CarersTM, a global initiative led by Merck in collaboration with leading carer organisations around the world, including UK charity Carers UK, aims to encourage people to reach out to an unpaid carer they know.

In order to help carers be recognised and supported for the significant contribution they make to the life of a loved one, the Time Counts call-to-action asks people to give their time to a carer. Whether its five minutes or a full day, there’s no limit to the amount of time that can be given.

People can join Time Counts by visiting the Embracing CarersTM website to create a connection and access valuable resources to share with a carer in their life. It is also important to help others get involved. You can do this by sharing your contribution on social media using the #EmbracingCarers hashtag in your posts.

Aston spoke to Emily Holzhausen, director of policy and public affairs at carers UK to talk about the incredible contribution carers make across the UK. Aston also spoke to Della Phillips, a former UK carer who can talk about her experience as a carer and the importance of giving time to a carer.