Miscellaneous

The UK Government is concerned that women and men who care for disabled or sick relatives, or elderly people, and who also wish to take part in paid work should have increased opportunities to do so. However, many informal carers find combining work and care difficult; some may ‘choose’ to give up paid employment completely. The present paper draws on the findings from two projects to explore the extent to which the needs of employees with caring responsibilities are supported in the workplace.

This article uses data from a panel of Australian mature-age women to examine the effects of care roles on workers’ intentions to leave their jobs. We focus on how the employment effects of care roles can be shaped by the economic circumstances of the worker. We find that caring for an ill, frail or disabled family member has significantly lower effects on the turnover intentions of mature-age women with ‘poor’ (as compared to favourable) economic circumstances.

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.

This report documents the findings of a two year study looking at the impact of the Carers (Recognition and Services) Act 1995 in four local authority social services departments in northern England. The work was funded by the Department of Health under the Outcomes for Social Care initiative. We began the study in November 1997, two years after the full implementation of the Carers Act. The specific research questions the study addressed were: 1. what are the results of national policy in terms of local policy and practice in selected authorities? 2.

The aim of this article is to provide an overview of the issues faced by caregivers of people diagnosed with cancer, with a particular emphasis on the physical, psychosocial, and economic impact of caring. A review of the literature identified cancer as one of the most common health conditions in receipt of informal caregiving, with the majority of caregivers reporting taking on the role of caring because of family responsibility and there being little choice or no one else to provide the care.

The growing population of people with complex needs who require social care makes it important to find out what is the best way to support them. We looked at this question, interrogating the available research evidence, and also talking to the people directly concerned about what they want from social care. Our findings come from a large-scale literature search of all the current UK research evidence on this subject. We also listened to people with complex needs, their carers, and members of specialist organisations about what works best.

There is growing evidence that caregiving workloads contribute to increased stress and decreased leisure participation. Given that physically active leisure can be an important coping resource for older adults, increases in stress and decreases in leisure may put the health of older caregivers in double jeopardy.

Background. With an aging population and public policies that limit accessible and affordable formal care services, informal caregivers, largely women, will continue bearing the overwhelming responsibility for home and long-term care services provision. Objectives. This study examined gender differences among informal caregivers in caregiving activities, intensity, challenges, and coping strategies and assessed the differential effects of caregiving on their physical and emotional well-being. Research Design. Cross-sectional study conducted between May and September 1998. Subjects.