K101 Block 1 Unit 1 "Who Cares"

Informal arrangement
1. Family Member
2. Neighbour
3. Friend
4. Terms such as "Informal" and "Unpaid viewed as belittling to the carer.
5. "...The term 'carer' means someone who looks after a friend, relative or neighbour who needs support because of their sickness, age or disability. It does not mean a proffessional care-worker in a nursing home, for example - or someone employed by a disabled person." DIRECT GOV 2006
  1. WHO IS A TYPICAL CARER *STATISTICAL DATA FROM 2001*
    1. 6 million unpaid carers equal to 12% of adult population
      1. 58% women
      2. 42% Men
    2. Peak age for caring is between 50 - 59 years
    3. 68% provide 0 -19HPW
    4. 11% provide 20-49HPW
    5. 21% provide 50+HPW
6. How do people become Carers?
  1. Family Obligations
    1. Only Child
    2. Closest relative
  2. Reciprication of care
    1. Person requiring care assists in other ways eg. Babysitting, Cooking.
    2. "Paying back" of caring role previously held by person requiring care (eg. parent)
  3. "Expected to do it"
    1. "Woman's work"
    2. Only Child
    3. Live with person requiring care.
  4. No one else to help
    1. Person has no family/ family live far away
    2. Isolated community
    3. Do not know what help is available or where to ask.
  5. Do not see themselves as "Carers"
    1. Often the amount of care and support given "creeps up" on the Carer - not fully aware of how much they have taken on and the demands that this places on them and the extended network.
    2. ADVANTAGES OF RECOGNITION
      1. This is important to...
        CARER: If they wish to apply for financial support
        BUDGET HOLDERS: So they can plan what support is required in which areas
        ORGANISATIONS: So they know who requires this support
        EMPLOYERS: They are legally obliged to take a carer's caring responsibilities into account.
      2. May be entitled to practical help and support
        Carer's allowance
        Support targeted to their needs
        "Proffessional Carer's" assistance
        "Home Responsibility Protection" - pension is protected if unable to work.
        Legislation places a duty on the local authority to let Carers know what support they are entitled to.
      3. Legislation makes it possible for the Carer to have their needs (Caring/Training/Lesiure) assessed - not just the person requiring care
      4. Large step admitting being a Carer to oneself as well as others
    3. DISADVANTAGES OF RECOGNITION
      1. complicating factors
        TIME SPENT CARING
        Must be over 35 HPW to meet Government definition for financial assistance.
        May fluctuate or be difficult to measure
        LABELLING AND IDENTITY
        May not want/accept "Carer" label
        Difficult to accept or clashes/contrasts with percieved role/identity
        INTERDEPENDENCE
        Caring may be recipricated - not just "one way" caring
        Often happens within famiies
        NETWORKS
        Extended family may also be assisting with care tasks
        Definition of carer focusses attention on one person even if there is a network of support
      2. May not qualify for any "outside support"
      3. May be unwilling to admit they are a Carer either to themselves or other people
      4. The person they care for may be unwilling to accept they are being cared for
      5. Caring role may fluctuate - would qualify some times but not others
      6. Places the onus, and acceptance of responsibility onto the Carer.
Usually unpaid by the person requiring support
1. May be eligible for Carers Allowance and other benefits, however conditions apply - may affect both existing benefits not only of carer but also the person requiring support.
2. In 2006 - 6 million Carers in this position
3. SAVE THE GOVERNMENT BILLIONS OF POUNDS IN CARING FEES
Recognised role in legislation.
1. Carers (recognition and Services) Act 1995
  1. First Legislation to officially recognise Carer role - amended Social Work (Scotland) Act.
2. Carers Equal Opportunities Act 2004
3. Community Care and Health (Scotland) Act 2002
4. Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968
5. All current legislation covers carers aged 18 and over - No legislation at present for carers under this age however in Scotland a new Carers law is in the consultation stages which will include young Carers for the first time.
6. CARERS ALLOWANCE WWW.GOV.UK *INFO CORRECT 2014*
  1. £61.35 PER WEEK
    1. Flat rate even if caring is done for more than 35 HPW
  2. MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR FURTHER BENEFITS
    1. Income related benefits
    2. Pension credits
  3. PAID DIRECTLY TO CARER HOW THEY CHOOSE
    1. Every week
    2. Every 4 weeks
    3. Every 13 weeks
  4. COVERS ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS FOR THE CARER
    1. National insurance credits
    2. Additional state pension contributions
  5. Can also affect the benefits recieved by the person being cared for - eg: Severe disability premium or Council tax reductions.
  6. Must meet the governments definition of a carer to qualify
CASE STUDY 1: Angus McPhail, Ann Walker, Zoe Walker, Bob Walker, Yetunde Unit 1
1. PARKINSONS DISEASE
CASE STUDY 2: David Sinclair, Veronica Sinclair, Unit 13
1. MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS
CASE STUDY 3: Anwar Malik, Hansa Malik, Unit 2
1. DIABETES
WHAT IS IT LIKE TO CARE
1. Demands skill
2. Obligation
3. Has consequenses for "other" people - ie. extended family
4. POSITIVE
  1. rewarding
  2. Labour of love
  3. Stregthen relationship
5. NEGATIVE
  1. Hard work
  2. Restricting
  3. Isolating
  4. Emotionally demanding
  5. Guilt provoking
  6. stressful
WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BE CARED FOR
1. POSITIVE
  1. Enabling
  2. Maximises strength
  3. Strengthens relationship
  4. Promotes independence
2. NEGATIVE
  1. Loss of power/control
  2. Lack of choice
  3. Feeling of burden
  4. Fear
  5. Isolation
3. Changes dynamic of relationship
WHAT AFFECTS CARE
1. QUALITY OF RELATIONSHIP
  1. Care takes place in the context of the existing relationship
  2. Particular emphasis on state of relationship prior to caring beginning
  3. Strengths and weaknesses of the relationship are still the same and can be played upon by either the carer or the person requiring support
2. CHOICE
  1. If positive then has better outcome for both parties
  2. Not straight forward
  3. Complicated by outside factors
    1. Financial
    2. Social
    3. Lack of options
3. SUPPORT
  1. INFORMAL
    1. May be non existant for some people with support needs
  2. FORMAL
    1. Entitlement to this support
    2. Unaware of support available
  3. The amount of either type recieved can make a big difference to caring ability
CHANGING FAMILIES
1. PETER TOWNSEND: THE FAMILY LIFE OF OLDER PEOPLE 1957
  1. Shared caring responsibilities amongst family members
  2. Almost half of interviewees lived with younger family members
    1. Most of the others had family nearby
  3. The average per interviewee was over 10 family members living within one mile of them
    1. 85% of those with children had an adult child living within this distance
  4. Very few children moved away from parents
  5. People kept in frequent contact - only 4% of those with children did not see a child once a week
  6. Caring tasks within families were recipricated until the person requiring care became too ill or infirm
    1. "The two way traffic is an essential feature of the family"
  7. Those with no available family were in the worst position - most likely to require state assistance.
2. DENCH ET AL: THE NEW EAST END: KINSHIP, RACE AND CONFLICT 1992-2005
  1. Ethnic diversity - 1/3 population Bangladeshi origin
  2. "Lot of lonely old peoole who don't see a soul"
  3. Living in 1 bedroom flats
  4. Family dispersed - leaving the area and moving further afield
  5. Young people leaving home
  6. Networks smaller (having smaller families)
  7. Families willing to care but large pressure on them when they try to do this
3. CARING ONLY BECAME A METTER OF PUBLIC INTEREST DURING THE LATE 20TH CENTURY DUE TO CHANGES BETWEEN STUDIES

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K101 Block 1 Unit 1 "Who Cares"

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	Created by Tina Spence over 10 years ago