Support for carers of older people

This is the fifth report in the Audit Commission’s series looking at ways to promote the independence and well-being of older people, the previous reports have focused on: ● what independence means for older people (Ref. 1); ● what local authorities, working with other agencies, can do to promote independence and well-being for all of their older citizens (Ref. 2); ● ways of doing this for older people who have become frail (Ref. 3); and ● the role that assistive technology can play (Ref. 4). 2 Many frail older people rely on care provided by relatives or friends. This report looks at the nature and extent of help that is currently available to carers and makes suggestions about how it can be strengthened. 3 There are currently around five million people in England providing support to relatives or friends in need of care (Ref. 5), with approximately 70 per cent of them providing support for older people (Ref. 6). These carers are often older people’s main source of support, as support from health and social services is necessarily limited. 4 The number of older people in the UK is increasing (Ref. 7) and in the future, their carers may need to provide even more support to ensure their continued well-being. But carers themselves need care.