Asian people

The importance of ties between older people and their children has been widely documented as a fundamental component in the provision and receipt of support. While the reference to such support is usually made in a benign manner, it is overly simplistic to assume that support provided by family members will always and necessarily lead to positive outcomes for older people. A person's perception of the adequacy or quality of support is inevitably influenced by his or her expectation of the type, frequency and source of support preferred or required.

This paper discusses the experience of South Asian carers of a person with cerebral palsy. Previous research in this area has failed to explore carers' perceptions of causation or their views on the quality of service support. Qualitative interviews were carried out with twenty carers in two localities in the north of England with the aim of providing in‐depth contextualized data on their experiences over time, their attitudes towards cerebral palsy and their interactions with service provision.

Describes the Abhay Partnership Project to deliver advocacy services for South Asian elders and their informal elder carers in west London. It also aims to change and improve how the 6 consortium partners, 3 host agencies and 9 community centres design and deliver services to such people.

The discourse surrounding community care characterises informal support being superior to and preferred over formal sources of support, with this distinction buttressed by policy changes. There is a lack of understanding of the interdependence of both spheres of support. This article argues that an individual's experience and expectation of one type of support is often made in relation to his or her understanding, expectation and experience of other sources of support.

This paper report on a study undertaken in Glasgow of young South Asian people with learning disabilities and their carers, and explores the extent to which they are socially excluded. Although there is an increasing political emphasis on the inclusion of people with learning disabilities, the families concerned continue to experience isolation, both socially and in terms of service provision. Access to service is often problematic, because of linguistic and cultural barriers and families appear to be reluctant to use day centres.

Outlines a research project undertaken in the Dartford and Gravesham area of north west Kent to explore the service-related needs of Asian older people with dementia and their carers. The study was conducted from February 2002 to January 2004, based at a local dementia care charity, and funded by the Mental Health Foundation. Qualitative approaches were used to collect data about existing services and the views and perceptions of key stakeholders including: 7 GPs, 32 health professionals and service managers, 7 carers and 230 members of the local Asian community.

The paper reports on the development and piloting of the Social Inclusion Interview Schedule (SIIS). This uses pictures to explore social networks and feelings of social inclusion. The background, conceptual framework and development of the interview schedule are discussed and interim findings are highlighted. The challenge of not just identifying the constituents of a social network but also attributing some measure of intensity to the relationships and activities identified will be considered.

The Access Initiative is run by the Minority Ethnic Carers of Older People Project in partnership with Edinburgh Council, West Lothian Council, minority ethnic carers, and older people. Its twin aims are to give carers from Edinburgh's south Asian and Chinese communities a break from caring and to provide culturally competent services for older members of the family who need care. [Introduction]

This study compares the results of two surveys of informal caregivers conducted in California and Hawaii (N = 1677) to determine if there is a uniquely Asian model of caregiving. Differences between Asian and non-Asian caregivers were found in the percentage of male caregivers, the impact of caregiving personally and on the family, and on employment. Furthermore, in multivariate analysis, being of Asian origin retained significance in predicting both positive and negative caregiver outcomes.

This article outlines the findings and general implications of Mental Health Foundation research into the needs of older Asians with dementia and their carers. The project was carried out in an area with an Asian majority population in North West Kent. The focus is on the identification of need and on factors which block access to care and support. There are recommendations for practitioners and commissioners about raising awareness, service development and training.