HELP is at hand for older carers in the community.

Wigan and Leigh Scope is producing a database for social services so families can be consulted about future services and projects being developed in the borough.

It is estimated that one in seven people care for a disabled or ill relative, that means there are 44,000 carers in Wigan and Leigh alone.

It is believed that 6205 of these are people over 60 and the exact amount of older carers of someone with a learning disability is unknown.

Identify

A charity spokesman said: "One of our objectives is to identify and support older people caring for someone with a learning disability. Working in partnership with social services we have employed a community fieldworker to find and identify older carers.

"As a locally based charity we can offer information, advice, help and support to older carers in partnership with all agencies to ensure that their voice is heard."

For more information contact Debra Farrar at Scope on 01942 865127.