Support services

Carers have greater risk of ill health and unemployment according to the latest comprehensive research for Carers UK. Sue Yeandle outlines what reforms are needed. [Introduction]

Many young carers are not using the services available to them. Independent researcher Berni Graham looks at one council's investigation of why this is the case.

During 2003 the Audit Commission conducted a study of services and support for the carers of older people in England, with a particular emphasis on the implementation of the national Carer's Strategy. In order to place this study in context, a background study was commissioned into the approaches taken in a number of other countries to supporting carers.

The UK Government has highlighted the need to develop appropriate information and support services for informal carers. Previous research that has investigated informal caring has found that managing medication is one aspect of the caring role that presents its own problems; however, these have not been subject to detailed examination. The objective of the present paper was to report the number and type of problems experienced by informal carers when managing medication for older care recipients, and to relate these to measures of coping and health.

A review of articles published between 2000 and 2013, retrieved from several databases, was conducted to identify research findings regarding nursing interventions intended to meet the needs of the family members of patients in the intensive care unit. The dimensions of need identified were support, comfort, reassurance, information and closeness, with reassurance, information and closeness being the most important. Overall, the needs of patients’ family members were unmet.

Social and political constructions of carers have been criticized for undervaluing the complexities of the experiences of carers. However, relatively little research has attempted to generate more meaningful constructions of carers by drawing these considerations together. The purpose of this article is to begin addressing this need. To accomplish this, the article is presented in two sections. First, an overview is provided on the current constructions of carers and suggested considerations for research.

This paper looks at the work of 18 local authorities to create systems and support to help families with young carers. It explores some of the positive outcomes from taking a family-focused approach and showcases good practice in this field.

Background: Collective caregiving, performed by caregivers working in pairs (informal primary and secondary caregivers working together), is common in the hospice setting. Research suggests that caregiving pairs may experience different caregiver outcomes. However, little is known about how caregiving pairs differ from solo caregivers (informal primary caregivers) on outcome measures.

May carers are isolated and GP surgeries are often their first point of contact for support and resources. This article describes the role of a carer support and development worker, whose aim is to provide the support carers need. Cites 19 references. [Journal abstract]

This article describes a nurse led service operating on three adult acute psychiatric wards in a hospital in South London. On each ward a member of the regular nursing staff spends one day meeting with families and carers. A case is made for the need for such a service, and its aims are described. An example of a series of meetings with the relatives of one patient is given, illustrating the benefits of this type of service.