Informal carers Flashcards
what was the aim of the community care act 1990
The stated aim of the CCA was to assist the dependent elderly, people with physical and learning 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.
define long term support
Long Term Support is currently defined as, ‘any service which is provided with the intention of maintaining quality of life for an individual on an ongoing basis, which has been allocated on the basis of eligibility criteria i.e an assessment of needs has taken place, and is subject to regular review’ (NHS:2017).
what does social care legislation say about hospital discharge
Social Care legislation requires that patients in hospital in need of long term care, are not be discharged until a personalised ‘package of care’ is available.
How does social care legislation contribute to bed blocking
However, because social care resources have always been inadequate to demand since the 1990 legislation, this discharge planning provision requirement had a significant impact in compounding the so-called `bed-blocking’ issue in hospitals.
what is informal care?
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.
Those receiving long term social care support by primary client type were as follows (why were they receiving care)
Physical disability (66%) Mental Health (20%) Learning disability (12%) Other vulnerable people (2%)
services typically provided
Home Care; Equipment and adaptations; Meals-on-Wheels; Professional Support; Day care.
when adjusted for inflation has spending on social care changed?
Nope
what were the objectives of the 1999 Caring about Carers strategy (4)
Carers should be supported in combining paid employment with their caring responsibilities - employers will be persuaded of the benefits of having a carer-friendly employment policy.
Carers to be informed and consulted about professional decision-making concerning those they care for.
Health professionals 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 (especially Health & Safety), and the provision of regular breaks from caring.
were the principles of the caring for carers strategy met?
Yet despite these good intentions, many of these principles were never met, due to the restricted funding of social care, and a failure to deliver on joint working.
What did the Care Act 2014 suggest
The 2014 Act introduced new responsibilities for local authorities (and their partners in health, housing, welfare and employment services) to prevent, reduce or delay the need for care and support for all local people.
The 2014 Care Act also includes 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.
impact of informal caring on the carers
Caring can impose a heavy financial, physical and psychological strain on carers.
Carers typically experience reduced independence and a reduction in their social participation as a consequence of their role.
Carers may have to give-up their own careers because it is difficult to combine the demands of paid employment with caring responsibilities.
At the same time, taking on an unpaid caring role remains something which is largely undervalued in society, so a potential loss of social status for carers.
Outside leisure and maintaining friendships interests may have had to be curtailed because of the time demands required to meet the care needs of those being looked after – This often leads onto social isolation for carers.
The physical labour involved in meeting the activities of daily living for a relatively immobile person can be considerable, and likely to be particularly demanding for carers who are likely to be elderly themselves.
Carers themselves may experience a loss of personal autonomy in relation to their increased dependence on others for support in their caring role.
Caring relationships between partners / family members are normally reciprocal, but relationship tensions can arise from the increasing dependency of the recipient of care in the relationship.
Individuals who have become physically dependent on their partner may well feel frustration and anger with their physical condition which they cannot express to their carer; although this may be possible with a formal / professional carer.
There is frequently a constant, unrelenting dependency on the carer (Greenwood et al:2010)
