Prime Minister Andy Burnham has spoken about the "unbearable" emotional impact his mother faced while caring for his late father, Roy, during his battle with dementia. Mr Burnham said unpaid carers, such as his mother Eileen, who looked after his father, should receive more support and appreciation.
Family's experience with Alzheimer's
Roy Burnham, who suffered from Alzheimer's disease, died in September at the age of 85. His illness meant he did not know his son had become Prime Minister. He was a former Post Office and British Telecom (BT) telephone engineer. Mr Burnham's parents shared three children together: his younger brother, John, and older brother, Nick.
Mr Burnham is now backing a campaign by the Daily Mail seeking to help carers. He told the newspaper that the emotional impact on his mother during his father's illness may have been overlooked and that the family may have waited too long before moving him into a care home.
Emotional toll on carers
He said: "From what I experienced, the emotional toll is a burden that is unbearable. The weight is unbearable – it gets too big. I know that will ring true for some of your readers who are going through this experience. I saw it directly – I saw my mum sinking under the size of that weight."
Mr Burnham added: "Me and my brothers have spoken about this – there was a tendency to focus on the person with dementia and miss some of what was going on around, and particularly the impact of carrying that daily burden on my mum. The country is dependent upon people who are caring for partners, loved ones, unpaid and we've got to see them, recognise them, hear them when they say that I need more to make this sustainable."
It is reported that Mr Burnham's family may not have taken on board the strain his mother was dealing with as they tried to keep his father out of a care home for as long as possible.
Support for carers campaign
"And I think because of that feeling that we had – and because perhaps we were looking at my dad all the time, not necessarily looking at my mum – I think it took possibly too long to make that decision. Credit to the care home when my dad did go in – they were great, and they did a really good job and it was the right option in that situation. But it was a tough journey," Mr Burnham said.
Relatives and friends of people living with the illness could get new nationwide six-week courses to help them handle the situation they face under the Dementia Carers Together campaign, delivered in partnership with Alzheimer's Society. The campaign would see carers in line for sessions providing support and information about their rights and available services.
Michelle Dyson, the Alzheimer's Society chief executive, said: "We are incredibly grateful to the Prime Minister for opening up about his own family's experience and backing our Dementia Carers Together Appeal. No one caring for someone with dementia should be left to struggle without the support they need. Dementia Carers Together will give carers vital advice, support and the chance to connect with others who understand. We hope people across the country will join the Prime Minister in supporting the appeal so we can reach more families when they need us most."
Previously issuing a statement on his dad's passing, Mr Burnham said: "We are grateful to everyone who has shared a kind message about my dad, particularly the leaders of the other parties. My family and I have been helped through this difficult time by people's warmth and compassion. It means a great deal to us and we wanted to say thank you."
