Older carers project

Age Cymru and Carers Trust Wales are working in partnership on the older carers project, funded by Welsh Government.

It’s been estimated that unpaid carers provide 96% of care and support at home and are worth around £10.6 billion to the Welsh economy each year.

Older carers form a crucial foundation of our health and social care system – but without effective support, carers can become overwhelmed by physical, mental, emotional and financial strain.

The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 enshrined in law a number of rights for unpaid carers. The Act is underpinned by a preventative, person-centred approach to improving well-being, promoting the prevention of problems escalating, and making sure that carers receive the right advice, information and support at the right time.

Despite improvements in the way that carers are supported, challenges remain.

There are many in our communities providing care but do not see themselves as an unpaid carer and are not aware of their rights. There are many who don’t know what support is available or how to access it. There are many who, for any number of reasons, struggle to access the help they know to be available.

In 2024-2025 the project focused on improving identification and support for older carers in primary care, hospital discharge processes and in care home transitioning.

To help get older carers the help they need earlier in their caring journey, we developed a guide and provided training to GP staff in Wales on identifying and supporting unpaid carers.

To assist in timely and safe discharges from hospital, we developed a guide and provided training to staff in hospitals on better identification and support for older carers across Wales.

To reduce the stress of the move to a care home for the cared for, we developed a guide and provided training to care home staff. We held a webinar with health and social care professionals across Wales on the benefits of better carer involvement.

Training recordings from the 2024-25 project can be accessed here.

If you need information or advice call our Carers Advice number on 03300 564 365, or head over to our Carers Advice page.