Family Carers Ireland, the national charity supporting Ireland’s family carers, have announced that this year’s Netwatch Mayo and Connacht Family Carer of the Year is Una Biggins from Deerpark, Clogher, Claremorris.
Una Biggins has cared for her husband Gerry, who has a disability, for the last 18 years, along with her mother Phyllis, who is in her 90s and had a very serious car accident over 12 years ago.
Una has combined this with rearing four children and despite the 24/7 nature of the wonderful care she gives and her heavy workload, is an incredibly unselfish and positive person, and the first to help others in any way that she can.
The annual awards seek to recognise and shine a light on the remarkable contribution of Ireland’s forgotten frontline who go the extra mile every day in caring for loved ones with additional needs.
More than 500,000 people in Ireland provide unpaid care in the home for children or adults with physical or intellectual disabilities, frail older people, those with palliative care needs or those living with chronic illnesses, mental ill-health, or addiction. The 19 million hours of unpaid care provided each week by family carers would cost the state €20bn a year to replace.
The Covid-19 pandemic has been a challenging time for all of society but especially for family carers and those they care for who saw essential services and supports severely impacted. The blanket withdrawal of supports such as homecare, respite, personal assistance hours and residential care during lockdown forced many to care alone, around the clock. When Ireland shut down, family carers stepped up in support of their loved ones.
