💙 Celebrating Carers Week Why Advocacy Matters More Than Ever
- mhmadmin
- 22 hours ago
- 2 min read
At Mental Health Matters Wales, we believe no carer should feel invisible or alone. This Carers Week, we’re shining a light on the vital work unpaid carers do across Wales — and highlighting how advocacy can be a lifeline for those juggling care, stress, and uncertainty.
A Story from Cardiff: One Carer's Journey with Advocacy
Mrs X is a 76-year-old woman living in Cardiff, caring full-time for her husband, who has dementia. After 55 years of marriage and decades in the same home, life has changed dramatically. Her husband now struggles with memory loss, is awake during the night, and often becomes distressed in the afternoons — a common symptom known as sundowning.
Mrs X described feeling exhausted, emotionally drained, and isolated. Both her daughters have busy lives, and one is grieving the recent loss of her own partner. Mrs X had used most of their savings on home adaptations and now faces increasing financial pressure.
But what mattered most to her?
"I just want to keep looking after him at home, for as long as I can."
That’s when she reached out to our Independent Professional Advocacy (IPA) service in Cardiff.
How Advocacy Helped
Our advocate met with Mrs X and took the time to listen. With her consent, we contacted Social Services, explored her rights and entitlements, and helped her understand what support was available — from dementia cafés and carer assessments to respite services and financial advice.
We also provided information on memory clinic reviews and support for managing her husband's night-time distress.
Together, we took the first steps towards making life a little easier.
"I don’t feel alone anymore," she told us.And that’s what advocacy is all about — making sure people are heard, informed, and never left to navigate it all alone.
Why Advocacy Matters for Carers
Caring can be deeply rewarding — but also overwhelming, isolating, and exhausting. Advocates help carers:
Understand their rights
Access assessments and entitlements
Navigate complex systems
Speak up when they feel unheard
Feel less alone
Need Support?
If you're a carer in Cardiff and the Vale, Bridgend, Swansea or Neath Port Talbot and feel you need support navigating the system, you can self-refer today:
📞 0300 10 249 70
Let’s Keep Talking About Carers
As we mark Carers Week, let’s continue to recognise the incredible unpaid carers in our communities — and make sure they know support is there.
Because no one should face it alone.
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