Baldwin, S

Background to the Project The Department of Health commissioned a brief scoping study be carried out in order amass evidence concerning people with long term conditions’ use of health and social care services. This report covers a related study that examined literature containing evidence on informal carer’s experiences of providing care to people within the target groups.

Background The General Household Survey 2000 shows that approximately 6.8 million adults in Britain provide care to sick or disabled relatives or friends, or the elderly. Carers report high levels of stress, anxiety and depression, as well as general health problems and physical injuries such as strained backs associated with lifting. The more demanding care, the less likely it is that carers will have time to attend to their own health care needs.

The aims of the study were to summarise available research evidence, to identify key gaps in existing knowledge and to identify priorities for further research in the area of services to support carers. The literature review examined and summarised evidence from published and unpublished literature (both UK and international) between 1985 and 2001 about effective and cost-effective services to support carers.