Black and Minority Care – Medway Carers Centre

Ethnic Minority Carers Forum,

Maya Banga.
The Princess Royal Trust
Medway Carers Centre
3 Canterbury Street
Gillingham
Kent
ME7 5TP
Tel: 01634 577340

This is a group for family carers from the ethnic minority communities and is working as a project at the Medway Carers Centre.

Who is a Carer?

A family carer can be a relative, friend or neighbour.

A family carer can be of any age.

A family carer can come from any ethnic, religious or racial background.

1 in 7 people care for others.

43% are men.

One third of family carers are between 45 – 64 years of age.

12,000 children care for their parents.

Family carers are often overlooked and are certainly undervalued.

Family carers often take on great workloads, involving personal care, emotional support, company and practical support.

Many often care day and night seven days a week. The majority of family carers take on this role out of sense of love, commitment or duty.

How do people become family carers? – Through a person they care about:

Becoming ill
Being born with a disability or Getting old
Having an accident or having problems with their mental health
Having drug or alcohol addiction problems
This is usually Unexpected, Unpredictable, Stressful, Tiring, Time consuming, Expensive,

It may mean:
A change of role and relationships
Feelings of Isolation
A restricted lifestyle
The need to learn new skills
Losing sight of their own needs

Who are the Carers?

Husbands and Wives

Sons and Daughters

Neighbours

Mothers and Fathers

Friends

Professionals

Why do they Care?

Love

Duty

It’s their responsibility

Because they want to

Its there job