Informal care

This study examines whether and how couples share the provision of informal care for their parents. Four waves of the British General Household Survey contain cross-sectional information about caring for parents and parents-in-law. Descriptive and multivariate analyses were conducted on 2214 couples that provided parent care. The findings emphasise married men's contribution to informal caring for the parental generation and at the same time demonstrate the limits of their involvement.

Caring for a family member or friend can have major impacts on the personal life and wellbeing of carers. Identifying those who experience poor subjective wellbeing, factors that contribute to this, and ways in which services can be more effectively provided is essential in supporting carers in their role. This study surveyed carers from across New South Wales and found that carers of people with mental health issues reported poorer health and mental health themselves than any other group of carers, despite being more likely to access supportive services.

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.

'They look after their own' is a phrase with which we are all familiar but to what extent do ethnic and minority groups care for and support for their family members? Given the current focus on carers, Rosalind Willis in this article presents the findings of a preliminary study into ethnicity and family support, and highlights that what is generally defined as 'support' may perhaps be interpreted differently within and because of different cultures. 

The government once called carers unsung heroes and promised to legislate to improve their lives. Reports on how many of the measures it has taken have been welcomed but extra cash to ease the acute financial difficulties many endure is still in short supply.

People caring for someone with a mental illness finally have a right both to an assessment and to have their assessed needs met. The author explains how much difference this will make to carers and their loved ones.

BACKGROUND: Mental health services are required to take account of the needs of carers, yet little is known about how services affect carers.

AIMS: This paper explores the relationship between the user's mental health problems, the services received and the impact of caring on carers.

METHODS: Sixty-four carers were interviewed, measuring their experiences of care-giving, carer stress and the service user's level of impairment. A robust, composite measure of user severity was derived.

With the increasing number of people living with HIV/AIDS and the escalating costs of health care, there is an increasing demand for informal caregiving in the community. Currently, much emphasis is placed on individuals who are living with HIV/AIDS (in terms of the provision of social, psychological and economic support), but very little attention has been paid to the well-being and quality of life of informal caregivers. Lack of support and care for caregivers may have a negative impact on the quality of care and effective services for individuals living with HIV/AIDS.

PURPOSE: Many disabled stroke survivors live at home supported by informal caregivers. Research has revealed that these caregivers are experiencing strain. This study aims to examine the prevalence and differences over time of caregivers' strain in the first 6 months post-stroke and to predict caregiver strain based on patients' and caregivers' characteristics and service input.

Providing informal care can be both a burden and a source of satisfaction. To understand the welfare effect on caregivers, we need an estimate of the ‘shadow value’ of informal care, an imputed value for the non-market activity. We use data from the 2006–2007 Survey of Health Ageing and Retirement in Europe which offers the needed details on 29,471 individuals in Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. Of these, 9768 are unpaid non-co-resident caregivers.