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Coronavirus: The challenge faced by carers

The coronavirus lockdown is having a significant impact on family members caring for those who are sick, elderly or disabled.

Janet Scholfield from Ballymoney, County Antrim, is caring for her 86-year-old father-in-law, Jack.

He has dementia and was recently in hospital after sustaining a broken hip from a fall.

"We were given the choice of either taking him home or him going into a care home," said Janet.

"If he was going into a care home we wouldn't see him again until the coronavirus crisis was over. So we made the choice to bring him home again."

Before the Covid-19 lockdown, Jack had three visits a day from healthcare professionals.

"I feel we had a really good package of support beforehand, but when the outbreak happened everybody was going to the frontline and we weren't able to get carers," said Janet.

Jack's family say health authorities have since been in contact to say they could facilitate a morning visit from healthcare professionals.

Claire Anne Magee from Carers NI said: "This crisis needs to be a turning point in how we as a society treat family carers and going forward, government must invest in the care and support families so desperately need."

Video journalist: Niall McCracken

29 April 2020

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