People who provide
home care for a person undergoing cancer treatment need to be given a greater
amount of help, one expert has said.
Liz Fenton, chief executive of the Princess Royal Trust for Carers, believes
that carers provide a vital role in the treatment of a disease which affects
one in three people at some point in their lives, but there needs to be more
funding to ensure that they get the help they require to fulfil their
responsibilities.
A recent report from Macmillan Cancer Support found that over a million people
who care for a cancer patient at home are not receiving benefits, as only five
per cent of people who look after a loved one with the disease obtain support
from their local authority.
Ms Fenton said it was "vital" that this scenario changed in the
future as the "valuable unpaid care comes at a price" and affects
people's own "emotional health and well-being".
© Adfero Ltd
Private treatment news: 10 February 2012
