Informal carer Flashcards
What is a carer?
A carer is a person who provides unpaid help and support to another person who cannot individually manage alone.
What is formal care?
Paid service by volunteers or state.
How many carers are there?
Number of carers have been increasing and there are up to 13.6 million carers in the UK
What is the most common demographic of carers?
Over half of carers are women and the majority are 55+. Less than half work fulltime.
Carers are disporportionately in areas with high deprivation and long-term illness. These carers are likely to be ill.
What is the gender inequality in caring?
Women ae more likely to be worried about the negative emotional and physical impact of caring and the financial impact. As majority of carers, it reduces the participation of women in paid work and reduces their lifetime earnings
What is the age of carers?
43% of carers are between 45-64 and tend to be worried about the stress and responsibilties of caring. This also includes the mental impact where carers are more likely to report being lonely.
What do carers do?
Cohabitation, obligation between family and emotional actions They provide continuous intimate care from preparing food, providing medication, bathing, toileting and getting out of bed.
What is the likelihood of becoming a carer?
2/3 of women and 1/2 of men will become carers before age 75
What is the impact of caregiving?
There is a higher adiposity in female caregivers than male which may be linked to cortisol due to stress. The biggest adverse impact of caregiving is on younng female carers who are also working.
What are the needs of carers?
Carers require respite care, training in caring activities and require practical and emotional support. They require info about social security benefits, available services and health needs.
What are the needs of parent/rural/diverse/young carers?
Parents of disabled children require access to mainstream service. Rural carers require transport and practical support. Ethnically diverse carers require culturally sensitive services and language interpreters. Young carers require advice about transitoining to adulthood and emotional and practical support.
What are the needs of employed carers/carers for mentally ill?
Employed carers have to deal with taking time off work and managing childcare. People who caregive for mentally ill people require medical confidentiality free from discrimination. They need alleviation of emotional stress.
What do carers want?
Carers want a good quality of life for the person they care for an dthemselves and accurate honest information about support services with areas they find difficult and the knowledge that a person will take over care in an emergency.
What are policies that support carers?
Local authorities have a duty to identify, support and work with carers. Health professionals have a key role in signposting to advice and support.
There are multiple policies and legislation such as:
National Carers strategy
Carers Equal opportunities Act
Carers action plan
How can carers be supported?
Caregivers are entitled to an independent advocate to provide for their own personal wellbeing such as employment, education and leisure beyond health. They have a right to an assessment of their needs, even if the person receiving care refuses. Carers are entitled to a Carer’s special grant for respite care.
The Carer’s allowance is a separate benefit which carers must fulfil multiple criteria to quality and can only receive one payment of carer’s allowance per person.Carers are entitled to flexible working arrangements and reasonable time off work howeber this is subjective to the job.
