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Informal carers are not always recognized for the role they play in supporting those with a disability, including learning disabilities. However, their inclusion in the way in which health services are provided can be crucial in ensuring that the best possible standards of care are offered. This article looks at the definition of formal and informal care and discusses how support workers and health professionals more broadly can improve the experiences of informal carers and those with learning disabilities.

There are 5.7 million carers across the UK, providing care and support to family members, relatives or friends who are ill, disabled or elderly and frail (Office of Populations, Censuses and Surveys, 1995). It is estimated that informal carers save the country £34 billion annually (Nuttall et al, 1993). If carers decided to stop providing informal care, health and social services would be overwhelmed by the increase in workload, many people would suffer and taxes would increase dramatically.

Caring for a loved one can take its toll physically and emotionally. Caroline Swinburne discovers how district nurses can ease the load. Supporting unpaid carers is an important but often unseen aspect of community nursing.