Rprt

The research illuminates the lived experiences of student carers across Scotland’s colleges and universities, including the perspectives of those supporting them. Through an investigation of the challenges student carers face, and the barriers to accessing support, the research makes recommendations and suggestions to improve the studying experience for carers.

Key points

The results of a Carers Trust Scotland survey into the impact of Coronavirus on young carers aged 12 to 17 and young adult carers aged 18 to 25 was published in July 2020. They point to a steep decline in the mental health and wellbeing of thousands of young people across Scotland who provide unpaid care at home for family members or friends.

There were up to 9.1 million unpaid carers across the UK before the COVID-19 pandemic, providing everything from a few hours of support a week to intensive and complex round the clock care.  The pandemic has resulted in millions of new carers – 4.5 million new to caring since the start of the pandemic, 2.8 million of whom are juggling work and care. Caring can have significant costs, and without sufficient support it can take its toll on carers’ emotional and physical health, ability to work and have a knock-on effect on their long-term finances.

The coronavirus pandemic is having a devastating impact around the world. In the UK, people affected by dementia have been hardest hit and our fragmented social care system has been exposed for all to see.

Alzheimer’s Society is the UK’s leading dementia charity, and in this report we bring together evidence from a wide range of sources to shine a light on the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on people who have dementia and those who care for them

Increased longevity means that an increasing proportion of people living with a learning disability are aged 45 and over and are transitioning into older age/retirement. It also means that ageing family members are increasingly playing an extended caregiving role into later life. A small scale study was carried out in the New Forest, Hampshire during 2018-19. Twenty-one older carers (5 were male) were interviewed about their experiences of caring for their older adult family members with learning disabilities and/or autism.

This paper will examine key rapid surveys and research studies which have been conducted by various researchers and organisations both in a specifically Irish context and internationally.

Research Aim: This aim of this research is to explore how the experiences and needs of people with dementia and carers have changed throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and to understand how these needs can be appropriately addressed. Summary: This report presents the findings of national research undertaken by The Alzheimer Society of Ireland (ASI) between 8th and 26th June 2020, which explored how people with dementia and their carers are coping during COVID-19 and to understand their challenges and needs.

In mid-March Disability day services closed to people with intellectual disabilities with a small number of exceptions. In May and early June, Inclusion Ireland surveyed the people who use these services and their families on the impact the closure of service has had on them and the supports they have received in this time. In total, 291 family members answered our survey and 55 people with intellectual disabilities responded to an easy-to-read version of our survey giving a total response of 346.

In March 2020 the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the outbreak of the new Coronavirus, or COVID19, as a pandemic, due to its rapid spread around the globe. Ireland, along with other countries around the world, is taking action and putting in place plans to curtail the COVID-19 virus. However, people with intellectual disabilities are a group at a significantly higher risk than others.

This report produced by The ASI summarises the results of three surveys that were distributed to people living with dementia, family carers, and Community Champions (Understand Together). The aims of this report are threefold:

1. To identify the current challenges experienced by people with dementia and family carers in the current Covid-19 Pandemic through simple surveys.

2. To bring together suggestions from people with dementia and family carers of how ASI can continue to support them in lieu of suspended services.