A CHARITY that runs a respite centre in Hampshire says the south’s carers are risking their own health to look after their loved ones.

National disability charity Vitalise, which runs the Netley Waterside House in Netley Abbey, says that six out of ten carers in the region feel guilty about needing to use respite care.

It says this guilt is stopping carers from seeking much-needed respite breaks from caring for their disabled, frail or elderly loved ones.

The charity says it means that thousands of people in Hampshire, where there are known to be more than 120,000 carers, are putting their own health in jeopardy by not taking advantage of respite care.

It is thought that because the majority of respite places for disabled or elderly people are spare beds in nursing homes, families worry about their relatives fitting into the homes’ fixed routines.

Vitalise chief executive Chris Simmonds said: “The sad fact is that carers’ fears are quite justified.

“In many cases respite care amounts to little more than warehousing for disabled or older people, so it is not surprising that carers would rather struggle on at home, risking their own health in the process.

“Unless the fundamental issue of quality in respite care is addressed, this problem will only get worse.”

For more information about Vitalise respite breaks, call 0303 303 0147.