Statement 6 Flashcards
Statement 6
‘The role of informal caters in providing support for older people’
Who are Informal Carers?
An informal career provides help and support, without payment, to a family member or friend who may not be able to manage without this help because of frailty, illness or disability.
(Mind, 2020)
Statistics on Informal Carers in the UK
•There are an estimated 220,000 carers in Northern Ireland, which accounts for roughly 1 in 8 of the population
•4% of carers in NI are aged under 18
•The Family Resources Survey (2021) estimated that in 2019-2020 around 7% of the UK population were providing unpaid care
•1.4 million people provide over 50 hours care per week
•5 million people in the UK are juggling caring responsibilities with work- that’s 1 in 7 of the workforce
•600 people give up work every day to care for an older or disabled relative
Who are Informal Carers?
• Informal carers can be family members such as the older person’s partner, spouse, son or daughter. They provide much of the care for older people to help them live independently, often in their own home. In many cases informal carers support their loved one for the rest of their lives.
• Informal carers do not have to be related to, or live with, the older person so it could be a friend a relative or a neighbour.
• Informal carers are not usually trained practitioners.
• Informal carers provide unpaid care by looking after the needs of an older person. Some will receive a Carer’s Allowance which is a taxable benefit, paid to informal carers who spend at least 35 hours a week giving care.
Why is There a Need for Informal Care?
Northern Ireland is facing an increasing demand for care as are all other parts of the UK. demand is largely a result of the fact that people are living longer.
Older people vary greatly in their needs and in the level of support they require to meet them. Many older people can live quite independent lives, perhaps with some support from health and care services and family and friends, whilst others may need a great deal of support and care.
Informal carers empower and support thousands of older people who require support to maintain independent lives in their own homes and communities. In doing so, they lessen the extent to which social services contribute and so save the government a considerable amount of money.
It is often the personal commitment of informal carers which enables an older person to lead an active and fulfilling life independently within their local community.
Tasks Informal Carer might Undertake for an Older Person
- Personal care - bathing and showing, so that the older person is comfortable and maintains good hygiene
- Toileting - getting to and from the toilet. Maintaining continence and dealing with incontinence.
- Helping the older person dress and undress.
- Helping the older person in and out of bed
- Cooking nutritious meal and snacks for the older person
- Helping an older person to eat and drink if they have difficulty feeding themselves.
- Shopping for food, clothes and toiletries for the older person or accompanying them to do their shopping.
- Making phone calls/ writing letters on behalf of an older person.
- Cleaning the older person’s house.
- Washing and ironing the older person’s clothes. Hanging clothes out on the line.
- Assisting the older person with financial matters, e.g. pay bills, benefits (eg. Attendance Allowance, Carers Allowance).
- Talking and keeping the older person company - ‘keeping an eye on the person. This task is particularly important when the older person has dementia.
- Making appointments for the older person to see GP, dentist, or other health care professional such as optician.
- Attending appointments with the older person, e.g. GP or hospital appointment.
- Advocating - speaking on the older person’s behalf if they have difficulty doing so especially with communication difficulties.
- Ordering and collecting an older person’s prescription medication from the pharmacy eg. Using Patient Access App on the mobile phone
- Giving an older person their prescribed medication to ensure they take the correct dosage avoid overdose as well as to ensure they actually take it.
- Taking the older person on social visits or outings - Take them to visit a friend or go to church, visit a coffee shop or restaurant.
- Supporting the older person’s mobility and ensure they have the necessary aids eg. Walking aids, wheelchair etc.
- Checking the house is heated or ordering oil for the older person so that they can be warm and comfortable.
- Making sure the person is safe in their own home - locking door/gates to secure property and promote safety.
- Stay with the older person overnight.
- Make changes or alterations to the home to prevent accidents from occurring such as slips, trips or falls.
- Transporting (providing transport) to appointments or to social outings. They may accompany them on public transport.
- Encouraging and supporting regular exercise eg. Go for a walk together.
- Contacting social services to help access benefits, support and services.
- Help the older person to get dressed in the morning if they are unable to do so independently.
- Provide newspapers, magazines and books of interest.
- Encourage older person to watch television to keep up with current affairs and watch programmes of interest.
- Encourage continuation of hobbies and interests, eg. Gardening, puzzles, arts and crafts, knitting and model making etc.
- Help the older person read letters and correspondence and answer/make calls eg. Making an appointment with the GP.
- Assist the older person when making decisions about their care thus giving them a sense of control/empowerment.
- Spend time talking and listening (be a listening ear) so that the older person feels valued.
- Encourage and support access to other family and friends by inviting them to their home or taking the individual to family events such as birthdays and weddings in order to promote a sense of belonging and to help them feel valued and wanted.
- Support opportunities for older people to mix with others outside the home eg. Encourage the individual to attend day centres, clubs, support groups etc. Ballyclare Town Hall hold old Time Dances for users with Dementia. There is also one at Rathcoole.
- Support participation in hobbies such as painting, crafts, gardening and other interests where they will meet other people.
- Organise social outings, eg. Shopping, cinema, bingo.
-Task
-Explanation of why the older person needs the help and support
-Impact/Benefit for the older person
- Toileting
An older person with arthritis/ limited mobility mag need assistance with toileting.
This support helps to avoid embarrassment and maintain continence. - Cooking nutritional meal and snacks for the older person.
Older people with dementia may lose interest in food therefore it is important that a family member ensures they eat nutritious meals.
Having meals cooked for them helps prevent injuries or accidents while ensuring they receive the appropriate nutrients which benefits their health as their dietary requirements are met.
