Govt 'must do more' to help learning disabled and their carers

The government needs to do more to prepare for the care of younger adults with learning disabilities, it has been claimed.

More than 150,000 learning disabled adults are currently living with carers who are over the age of 70, the Guardian reports, with worries growing about how they will be looked after when their carers have passed.

Parents caring for disabled children have saved the state billions of pounds in their lifetime, but little has been done by either the government or society as a whole to address the potential problem created when these carers themselves need to be looked after, the newspaper claims.

The Foundation for People with Learning Difficulties says that many learning disabled adults are now having to care for their own parents and they urgently need help.

Molly Mattingly, assistant director at the foundation told the news provider: "It's vital that people with a learning disability are adequately supported by services in their role as carers.

"They should be helped to plan for the future so that they can cope should something happen to their parent."

According to the Department of Health, around 60 per cent of people with learning disabilities live with their families.

Find the nearest Barchester care home.