Informal Carers Flashcards
Describe the Community care act
1990 Community Care Act (CCA): assist the dependent elderly, people with disabilities, and those with long-term mental health problems, to live as independently as possible, either in their own homes or in some form of residential care.
Long term support is subject to eligibility, and it is the local councils responsibility to deliver this care
What is one issue with social care legislation?
Social Care legislation: patients in hospital in need of long term care, are not be discharged until a personalised ‘package of care’ is available.
However, because social care resource inadequacies= `bed-blocking’ issue in hospitals.
What is the difference between formal and informal care?
Formal care is delivered in the community by the statutory authorities (local councils)
Informal care is provided by members of the immediate family, based primarily on kinship obligations.
The realities of social care have meant that informal care remains predominant compared to formal care.
Who receives social care and what are they given?
What is the funding issue for social care?
~70.5% of funding for social care came from local authorities themselves, the remainder from transfers from central government
So areas with greatest amount of poverty receive the least amount in council tax and therefore get the least amount of funding, even tho poorer areas NEED the funding the most
In the 2021: 5million providing unpaid care, spending on carer support was just £176 million
The most common support for carers consisted of Information, Advice and Signposting
What is the caring about carers act?
Caring about Carers (1999):
Carers should be supported in combining paid employment with their caring responsibilities
Carers to be informed about professional decision-making concerning those they care for.
HCWs to be encouraged to consider the health of carers as part of their responsibilities.
The support provided to carers to be enhanced, in the form of improvements and adaptations to housing, training for carers, and regular breaks from caring.
Many of these were never met, due to restricted funding of social care, and a failure to deliver on joint working.
What is the 2014 care act?
The 2014 Act introduced new responsibilities for local authorities to prevent the need for care for local people.
Also inc a statutory requirement for local authorities to collaborate, cooperate and integrate with other public authorities e.g. health and housing.
It also requires seamless transitions for young people moving to adult social care services.
It also introduced National eligibility criteria for both carers and the person being cared were also introduced replacing the previously unworkable system which excluded all but those in most critical need of support.
Describe the social, psychological & biological impacts of the informal care-giving role
Financial:
Carers may need to give up their careers - financial strain!
Social:
loss of social status bc caring is undervalued
May feel socially isolated due to time taken up by care
Relationship tensions can arise between carer & patient
Psychological:
constant, unrelenting dependency on the carer
Biological:
Physical demand on elderly carers - eg physical labour involved in caring for Immobile patients
health of carers is more likely to deteriorate over time than non-carers, directly attributable to the caring role.
