Wales

Background Informal care is increasingly common in ageing populations. However, the impact of caring responsibilities on carers’ mental health remains unclear. We used data from the HealthWise Wales (HWW) cohort to examine the impact of caregiving on the mental health of carers. Methods HWW collects demographic, lifestyle, and opinion data, which are linked to routine health-care records, from individuals aged 16 years or older who live in Wales, UK (n=21 779).

Background: There is an expectation in current heath care policy that family carers are involved in service delivery. This is also the case with compulsory outpatient mental health care, Community Treatment Orders (CTOs) that were introduced in England in 2008. No study has systematically investigated family involvement through the CTO process.; Method: We conducted qualitative interviews with 24 family carers to ascertain their views and experiences of involvement in CTOs.

This paper will inform mental health service users and carers on how a University in Wales established a service user and carer-led research group. * The group's primary aim will be to undertake its own service user and carer-led research projects. * Mental health service users have undergone empowerment and research training at a University in Wales. This is an important initiative because it is the first service user and carer-led research group in Wales. * This paper is co-authored by a mental health service user and includes transcripts of service users' stories written in their words.

Focuses on the study conducted by the University of Wales which identifies the social care needs of informal carers for dependent adult relatives from a Bangladeshi community in Wales. Health risk assessment of the community; Assessment of the health care services in the community; Necessity for community nurses to be culturally proficient through the provision of accurate education.

This paper considers cash for care as reflected in direct payments and the more recent development of individual budgets in England. While the momentum to roll out individual budgets gathers pace in England, Wales has embarked on a more cautious approach in wishing to evaluate the impact of individual budgets on social services. The paper identifies some of the far reaching implications of cash for care in general and individual budgets in particular, for service users, carers ‐ both paid and informal ‐ and for the social work profession.

Explores the importance of the Children Bill for both young carers and young adult carers in England and Wales. Scope of the Children Bill; Number of children and young people under 18 that are young carers, according to the 2001 census data; Reason many of the young adult carers preferred to seek support and information from the person who ran the young carers service when they are involved.

The author reflects on the employment of informal carers to assist stroke patients in England and Wales in recovering from severe disability. He cites that the National Service Framework for Older People emphasizes the importance of care for stroke patients to be able to live at home. The employment of informal carers was questioned during the National Sentinel Audit for Stroke due to some factors that affect the quality of services and the life of the care taker.

In August 2013 the Office for National Statistics published a short story focusing on usual residents of England & Wales aged 65 or over: What does the 2011 Census tell us about older people? . This report continues this theme by looking at characteristics of the “oldest old” living in England & Wales, that is those who were aged 85 years or older on Census Day 2011 (who were born before April 1926). Most data published about older people come from household surveys, which exclude people living in institutions .

BACKGROUND: Many studies have suggested that caregiving has a detrimental impact on health. However, these conclusions are challenged by research which finds evidence of a comparative survivorship advantage, as well as work which controls for group differences in the demand for care.

The article discusses the legislative statement issued by Deputy Minister for Social Services, Gwenda Thomas on the Carers Legislative Competence Order in the Welsh Assembly on December 9, 2008. Thomas said there were still key areas that were not being consistently addressed across Wales including young carers who wants recognition and support where possible. But Thomas clarified that young carers should not have the responsibility that was inappropriate to their age or capacity. Thomas also proposed to include all ages in the definition of carers.