caregivers

Caring for an elderly, frail or disabled person has effects on physical and psychological health as well as financial and social consequences. There are 6 million informal carers in the UK and the primary care team together with other community services is expected to provide the support they need. However, most primary care team members feel ill equipped to do so and there is very little evidence about which interventions are effective.

Several recent studies have documented a negative relationship between informal care-giving and labour market attachment in Great Britain. This paper examines the relationship from a longitudinal perspective using data from the Great Britain 1994–95 Family and Working Lives Survey. The first part of the paper studies the timing of informal care-giving to a sick, disabled or elderly person. This information is used in the second part to examine the effects of caring on employment.

The opportunity costs associated with the provision of informal care are usually estimated based on the reduced potential of the caregiver to partake in paid work (both in terms of whether they are able to undertake paid work, and if so the hours of work undertaken). In addition to the hours of informal care provided, these opportunity costs are also likely determined by the necessity to perform particular informal care tasks at specific moments of the day. The literature, to date, has largely overlooked this dimension of informal care.

Background  Many family carers find the support they receive in respect of their child's challenging behaviour unhelpful. This study sought to identify carer perceptions of the ways in which support is unhelpful and how it could be more helpful.

Methods  Thirteen mothers, caring for a child with intellectual disability and challenging behaviour, were interviewed. Parental perceptions and concerns regarding support received were investigated. Transcribed interviews were analysed using interpretive phenomenological analysis.

Reports on the results of studies on the role of young people as caregivers for family members. Needs of patients that have to be met; Extent of young caring generally; Concerns and worries of young carers.

AIM: This paper reports a study identifying the health and social care needs of informal carers for dependent adult relatives from a Bangladeshi community in South Wales and their views on the acceptability and appropriateness of formal support services provided by statutory, private and voluntary sectors.

The objective of this review was to assess the effectiveness of interventions that assist caregivers to provide support for people living with dementia in the community. Adult caregivers who provide support for people with dementia living in the community (non‐institutional care). Interventions designed to support caregivers in their role such as skills training, education to assist in caring for a person living with dementia and support groups/programs.

Young carers of people with mental health problems are highly hidden, ostracised and vulnerable. To make matters worse, many professionals from the social, health and education sectors are not fully aware of the difficulties and central issues facing young carers of people with mental health problems. In order to make young carers of people with mental health problems more visible and to explore gaps in need and good practice from the perspectives of professionals, 65 participants were interviewed. The sample included professionals from the social, healthcare and voluntary sectors.

PURPOSE: We sought to determine whether participants in the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) with an informal caregiver have a higher or lower risk of nursing home admission than those without caregivers.

The author emphasizes the need for cooperation between disabled people's organisations and carers' groups to push for more social care in Great Britain. According to the author, the debate about carers is enjoying its highest political profile in years but the voice of disabled people is seldom heard in it. She contends that the growing number of informal carers is evidence of what happens when an expansion in the numbers requiring support meets fast-retreating public services. She points out that it is hard to believe that politicians listen to carers.