LifeCare highlights the hidden role played by thousands of local people and the support available to help them thrive.
This Carers Week (8-14th June), Edinburgh charity LifeCare has been celebrating the contribution of unpaid carers. The charity is also encouraging more people to seek the support they deserve and that can really make a difference.
Every day, thousands of unpaid carers in Edinburgh provide practical, emotional and personal care to family members, friends, neighbours and loved ones. Many do not recognise themselves as carers, yet they play a vital role in helping people remain independent, connected and well within their communities.
LifeCare has supported local people for 85 years and, since launching its dedicated carers wellbeing programme in 2022, has supported hundreds of unpaid carers through free wellbeing activities, social opportunities and peer support. The charity also provides more than 19,200 hours of respite every year, helping carers take a break from their responsibilities, focus on their own wellbeing and recharge.
As pressure on health and social care services continues, unpaid carers are increasingly carrying greater responsibility for those they support. LifeCare sees first-hand the impact this can have on carers’ physical health, mental wellbeing and social connections.
Through free activities including exercise, yoga, meditation, creative arts, massage, hair cuts and social gatherings, carers are given the opportunity to do something for themselves while connecting with others who understand the realities of caring.
Recent feedback highlights the difference this support makes. Ninety per cent of carers said LifeCare’s activities give them something positive to look forward to, 86% said they allow them to do something for themselves, and 81% reported meeting others in similar situations, helping reduce isolation and build lasting friendships. Carers told LifeCare:
“It would not have been possible for me to care without these classes. I have made friends, learned new skills and taken care of myself when I didn’t feel like it.”
“Without LifeCare and the classes I would be completely isolated. Most of my friendships have arisen through LifeCare carers classes.”
LifeCare’s free health and wellbeing activities are generously funded by the Short Breaks Fund, administered by Shared Care Scotland.
To hear directly from a local carer and learn more about the stats/growing figures, watch LifeCare’s Carers Week video on social media and hear why these activities have become a lifeline for many local people.
Find Out More
If you regularly support a family member, friend or neighbour due to age, illness, disability, frailty or a long-term condition, you may be an unpaid carer.
To find out more about LifeCare’s free support for unpaid carers, contact LifeCare on 0131 343 0940, visit our website or pop into the Hub on Cheyne Street EH4 1JB.
