CARERS in Dorset feel constantly “tired” and “depressed”, a new report has revealed.

The Dorset County Council’s Our Communities Topic Report, produced by the research and policy team at the county council said that “providing care and support can have a detrimental impact on the health of the carer themselves”.

It comes as the county is expected to have a growing aging population with the number over 85s expected to increase by almost 20 per cent in the next 10 years.

Currently, 61 per cent of those being cared for in Dorset are aged 75+ which compares with 53 per cent nationally. The report added that at the age of 65, a woman in Dorset will spend on average 41 per cent of the rest of her life in poorer health, while for a man in Dorset the average is 44 per cent.

Across the county, around 12 per cent of the population provides unpaid care on average with the lowest figure of 11 per cent occurring in North Dorset and the highest of 13 per cent in Purbeck.

It noted that 87 per cent of carers live with the person they care for and more women over the age of 50 provide unpaid care than any other demographic while two per cent (830) were under the age of 16 with 120 providing more than 20 hours per week of unpaid care.

The biggest concerns raised by carers in Dorset included that they did not enough control over their daily life, a lack of social contact, no encouragement and support and not having time to do some of the things they value or enjoy.

When asked specifically about whether their caring role resulted in their health being affected in certain ways, 81 per cent of Dorset residents felt tired and 43 per cent felt depressed while 71 per cent suffer from disturbed sleep patterns and 49 per cent admit to being short-tempered or irritable.

Council officers also noted that one in five carers are forced to give up work due to the demands of caring while 57 per cent of carers have lost touch with family and friends because of their caring demands.

Now, charity campaigners have hit out, saying that carers were not “routinely supported with their own health and well-being” and their work “must not be taken for granted”.

Heléna Herklots, chief executive of Carers UK, said: “Without the unpaid care provided every year by family and friends, our health and care services would collapse.

“Yet the physical and mental strain of caring, without enough support, is jeopardising carers’ ability to care in the future.

“Caring for a loved one too often means carers neglect their own mental and physical health; finding the time and space to be healthy, get enough sleep and maintain relationships with others are all huge challenges identified by carers.

“Being left unprepared for carrying out care tasks and battling with a complex health, benefits and care system are piling yet more stress onto carers.”

However, in response, Dorset County Council said that the council offers a range of services for carers through the Carers Information Service, adding that the Government launched a carers’ Call for Evidence consultation which has resulted in a five-point action plan covering the services and systems that work for carers.

A spokesman added that a separate survey revealed 77 per cent of carers who received support or services from Social Services were extremely, very or quite satisfied with the support or services they received.