Rprt

This briefing provides an overview of findings from research led by Prof. Moreau that looks at the relationship between care and academia for different groups in Higher Education (HE) in England. The most recent publication is an SRHE report which explores experiences of senior academic staff who are caregivers, with previous research projects looking at other academics, including Early Career Researchers, and students. The research reports are listed in the references section overleaf if you would like to read about this subject in more detail.

Unpaid carers are the backbone of our society who often go unrecognised for their dedication and compassion. They face a range of challenges as they attempt to juggle their work-life-care responsibilities. That’s why we decided to commission YouGov to conduct a UK-wide research project focused on identifying gaps in support and sought to understand the views of unpaid carers.

Key findings

In 2018, a survey found that 82% of the Irish population, across all age groups, had used the internet in some way in the three months preceding the survey (Central Statistics Office, 2018). Ninety-seven percent of those aged between 16 and 29, and nearly half of those aged between 60 and 74, had done so. It is clear, then, that  increasingly the internet is becoming a tool that must be understood and utilised as a viable way to supplement supports for family carers.

The AARP Home Alone study in 2012 was the first national look at how families, neighbors, and friends are managing medical/nursing tasks—that is, the complex care associated with administering multiple medications, changing dressings, handling medical equipment, and providing many other kinds of help that were formerly offered by trained professionals.  (See www.aarp.org/homealone.) Seven years later, this Home Alone Revisited study sought a deeper understanding of what family caregivers who perform medical/nursing tasks experience.

Based on the findings from research, this report makes recommendations provide better support for carers. The 12 policy recommendations cover five key themes of financial assistance, employment, identification and support, support networks and technology. Together, the policies together form a covenant for carers. The research looked at who informal carers are and the amount of care they provide, explored the experience of informal carers through two focus groups, and looked at the support available for carers internationally.

Outlines some of the implications associated with the growing number of informal carers in the UK, the health and social care system's increasingly unsustainable reliance on them, and what Government and employers can do about it. The report is informed by the academic and grey literature, as well as views from a workshop attended by over 30 stakeholders from government and non-government bodies, individual carers, carers charities, think tanks, and businesses.

...this paper explores:

This Spotlight offers an analysis of family carers, those who provide care and support on an unpaid basis to people who are sick, disabled or frail in the community. It explores how demand for care at home is likely to increase dramatically while the future supply of family carers may be limited by demographic factors. High calculations of the monetary value of family care to the State underscore it’s vulnerability to any future shortage in family carers. Current developments which may have an impact on carers’ lives and the future supply of carers are considered.

By investing in a care culture, American companies can prepare themselves for the looming care crisis. The economics of care are misaligned in most companies. Employees don’t get the support they need for their caregiving responsibilities and employers pay the hidden costs, including turnover, rehiring, presenteeism, and absenteeism. (Page includes featured videos and related media coverage.)

This rapid literature review was commissioned by NSW Family & Community Services on behalf of the NSW Carers Advisory Council. The review aims to contribute to the evidence to help the Council to better understand the social and emotional health and wellbeing of the carer population and the specific issues and their impact in the carer population.