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"Did your readers know that there are around 800,000 people living with dementia in England and nearly 550,000 people caring for them?&amp;#8232;The problem is that not enough carers have the opportunity to get away, even just for a few days. We ran a survey which found that a shocking four out of ten carers have not taken a single day off from caring in the past year, meaning that many find themselves in a caring role 24/7, 365 days a week.&amp;#8232;The effect of this stress is inevitable - 60% of carers said a lack of time away from caring led them to feelings of depression and hostility towards the loved ones they care for. This is a terrible situation to have to find oneself in, but one which in our experience is all too common.&amp;#8232;I work for an amazing national charity called Vitalise. We know that caring for a loved one with a disability without the occasional break can take a huge physical and emotional toll &amp;#8211; which is why we&amp;#8217;ve been providing much-needed respite breaks for people with disabilities and carers alike for over 50 years.&amp;#8232;The respite lifeline that Vitalise provides for people with disabilities and carers, including special weeks for couples living with Alzheimer&amp;#8217;s and dementia, often makes the difference between coping and despair, between just existing &amp;#8211; and really living. That&amp;#8217;s why this Dementia Awareness Week Vitalise is backing the &amp;#8216;Dementia Friends&amp;#8217; campaign &amp;#8211; and we urge your readers to do the same.&amp;#8232;If you would like to find out more about Vitalise  breaks, including our special Alzheimer&amp;#8217;s Weeks, or ways to support us, then please call: 0303 303 0147 or visit: www.vitalise.org.uk."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.eastwoodadvertiser.co.uk/news/local/letter-carers-need-a-break-1-6632301>