The role of informal caring within families

Question 1

Define informal caring?

Answer 1

Non-paid family carers, such as spouses, adult children or other relatives and friends

Question 2

Are informal carers always adults?

Answer 2

No, can be children

Question 3

Give 2 reasons why healthcare professionals need to be aware of informal carers?

Answer 3

Enabling people to stay at home relies on family members being able to take on the role of care

Caring for an older, chronically sick or disabled person can affect the health of the carer.

Question 4

How many typologies of informal caring are there, and who proposed these?

Answer 4

4 typologies of informal caring

(Twigg and Atkin 1994)

Question 5

What are the 4 typologies of informal caring?

Answer 5

Carers as resources

Carers as co-workers

Carers as co-clients

Superseded carers

Question 6

Which typology of informal caring is the main model and preferred source of informal care, and why?

Answer 6

Carers as resources

Because family support is free and available, so is taken for granted and they are assumed to become carer

Question 7

In informal caring with carers as resources, what does their service focus on?

Answer 7

Recipient maximising care from carer

Question 8

In informal caring with carers as co-workers, why do they work with healthcare professionals that provide formal care to the recipient?

Answer 8

Promotes informal care whilst recognising that carer needs support

So they work with healthcare professionals to complete tasks that interlink with formal care.

Question 9

In informal caring with carers as co-workers, can the informal carer start taking care of the recipient immediately?

Answer 9

No

Carer’s needs are targeted before they can become informal carer

Question 10

In informal caring with carers as co-clients, is the wellbeing and support for the recipient or informal carer more important?

Answer 10

Carer’s and recipient’s need and wellbeing are equally important

Question 11

In informal caring with carers as co-clients, what happens if the carer needs support themselves?

Answer 11

Carers are supported by services who will respond even if this diverts attention from recipient’s needs

Question 12

In informal caring, how does a superseded carer occur?

Answer 12

Removal of recipient from informal carers, into independent living.

Question 13

In informal caring with a superseded carer, what is often the aim of their service?

Answer 13

Start the process of separation

e.g. when services support a young person with special needs to transition from family care to independent living

Question 14

Give 3 examples of impacts of informal care on the recipient?

Answer 14

Maintains sense of continuity in their lives

Help with everyday tasks eg. dressing

Emotional support

Question 15

How does informal care generally affect the physical and mental health of the carer?

Answer 15

Negatively

Question 16

How can variation in the needs of the recipient affect the risk of informal caring negatively impacting the mental health of the carer?

Answer 16

Risk of negative impact on mental health increases (especially psychological stress) when caring for disabled person with more needs

Question 17

How does informal caring affect the carer’s sleep?

Answer 17

Less night-time than daytime support, so night-time caring worsens sleep

Question 18

As an informal carer, is it easy or difficult to maintain sense of self?

Answer 18

Difficult to maintain sense of self

Because they are busy constantly maintaining sense of continuity for recipient and what they define as ‘self’

Question 19

What act was introduced to address employment of informal cares that is affected by many unpaid hours per week?

Answer 19

Care Act 2014: Local authorities have a duty to provide services and support to carers whose employment is at risk