The System is Stretched – And Carers Are Feeling It

Everyone knows the care sector in Scotland is struggling—but what’s often overlooked is how much of the burden is being carried by individual carers.

Staffing shortages mean people are doubling shifts, missing days off, and working in conditions that would be unacceptable anywhere else. Care workers are left with impossible choices: cut corners or burn out. Most try to do neither—and instead sacrifice their own wellbeing to keep things going.

The system is broken, not the people in it.

We hear promises of reform and hope in the shape of a National Care Service, but for many carers, change still feels a long way off. What’s missing is the voice of those actually doing the job.

Carers need to be part of the conversation—not an afterthought. We’re not just delivering care; we’re living the realities of a system under pressure.

The Carers Companion is here to make sure those realities are heard. Because no one should have to carry this alone—and together, we have strength.