how can research inform practice and support for older … · usefuy ll addressed under the...
TRANSCRIPT
H o w c a n r e s e a r c h i n f o r m p r a c t i c e a n d
s u p p o r t f o r o l d e r c a r e r s ?
J O M O R I A RT Y
I N T H E N E W S
Report from Age UK using data from Understanding Society, a longitudinal study of households in the UK
Early work with carers highlighted position of adult children, especially daughters
Later realisation that many carers cared for spouses/partners and were in the older age group themselves
Presentation focuses on support, not numbers and demographics
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WHO IS AN ‘OLDER’ CARER?
IS IT HER? OR HIM OR HER?
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HOW MANY ‘OLDER’ CARERS ARE THERE IN THE UK?
630,195
426,510
298,741
226,249
151,674
87,346
0
100,000
200,000
300,000
400,000
500,000
600,000
700,000
60-64 65-69 70-74 75-79 80-84 85+
2011 Census data
Carers Trust 2014 16 June 2016 Focusing on Older Carers 4
BUT WE FIND THAT….
No set definition 50 years and over (e.g. The Princess Royal Trust for Carers 2011)
60 and over (Milne and Hatzidimitriadou 2002)
65 and over (Hancock et al. 2007)
80 and over (Age UK 2016)
Definitions often based on: Characteristics of person cared for (‘dementia carer’)
Does not convey Whether the carer has any health problems of his or her own
Who they care for (spouse, parent, child, other)
Whether they have been caring for a long or short period
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S U P P O RT I N G O L D E R C A R E R S
Recognition that characteristics of older carers using social care services may not be the same as patterns within the whole population
Most research about spouses/partners or children but older parents an increasingly important group
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D I V E R S E A N D E VO LV I N G R O L E S
‘Kelley [aged 82] provided a further illustration of an “older carer”. Her son had not been diagnosed as having Asperger’s until he was in his 50s. Now in his 60s he provided some “care” for her in relation to help round the house and company. However, she was increasingly aware of the unsuitability of their accommodation with her increasing frailty but could not envisage both of them agreeing on somewhere that they would both want to live’ (p97)
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THE TYRANNY OF THE PAMPER DAY!
MAY PREFER THIS? OR THIS?
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R E C O G N I S I N G A D D I T I O N A L R I S K
Harder to fall asleep as we grow older and we tend to wake earlier
US study compared older carers and non carers
Carers with positive affect (feeling happy, positive about life) slept better than non caregivers
But lack of sleep might have worse repercussions for carers
Ask if interventions to help positive affect (mindfulness, reframing stress and so on) mean that carers having difficulties are offered better support?
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L E A R N I N G N E W S K I L L S
Project in Hartlepool run by the Life Story Network
Trained 24 current and former carers of people with dementia
Carers’ ages not reported
Felt: Less alone – met new people Got more pleasure from caring Learned new skills and
strategies Less frustrated
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BU T …
18 family carers attending ‘Remembering Yesterday, Caring Today reminiscence groups
Aged from 47-85
Experiences varied, with some experiencing intervention as entirely positive whereas others had more mixed feelings.
Negative aspects included x lack of a break from caring x lack of emphasis on their own
needs x experiencing additional stress and
guilt through not being able to implement newly acquired skills
Q UA L I T Y O F L I F E
Interviewed 31 carers (30 aged 45 and over,)
Some positives. Key issues were Choice in caring Stigma in communities, Barriers to accessing support Relationship between carers’
and service users’ quality of life Balancing the needs and
preferences of individuals
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S A F E G UA R D I N G
UK Study of Abuse and Neglect of Older People Prevalence Survey Report (O’ Keeffe et al, 2007) found that while perpetrators of financial abuse tended to be younger, perpetrators of other types of abuse tended to be older (65-74)
Clarifying who is ‘victim’ and ‘perpetrator’ may be complex process
Need to recognise additional stresses on older carers (overlap with Alisoun’s presentation)
‘Questions may also be raised about whether neglect is usefully addressed under the “umbrella” of mistreatment. There are important distinctions to be made between the absence of a carer, the difficulties that a carer may have in coping, the presence of someone in the household who may be ill-equipped for whatever reason to provide care, and someone who is wilfully neglecting the older person. Findings from the survey and the qualitative follow-up interviews suggest that the latter type of perpetrator is rare. The finding that four out of ten of those who suffered interpersonal abuse were providing care for the perpetrator raises issues about the support of carers and the ability of support services to address these complex issues and to provide in-depth support’ (p85)
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DISCUSSION
Recognising diversity among older carers and how roles may have evolved over time
Personalised approaches
Not about quick fixes
Better identification rates for carers having difficulties
Considering effects of rationing – what can be avoided?
Recognising links to safeguarding and role of preventive support
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DISCLAIMER
The Social Care Workforce Research Unit receives funding from the Department of Health Policy Research Programme. The views expressed here are those of the authors and not the Department of Health
Thank you for listening [email protected]
@aspirantdiva
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SOURCES AND REFERENCES (1)
Slide no. Source
2 Age UK: http://www.ageuk.org.uk/latest-news/invisible-army-of-oldest-carers-saving-state-billions/
3 Daily Telegraph http://www.telegraph.co.uk/lifestyle/wellbeing/maxpemberton/5516374/Finger-on-the-Pulse-The-importance-of-the-priceless-work-done-by-the-nations-carers.html and BT news http://home.bt.com/lifestyle/wellbeing/dementia-carers-must-look-after-their-own-needs-too-warns-alzheimers-society-11363992133639
4 Carers Trust: https://professionals.carers.org/sites/default/files/caring_about_older_carers-finallo.pdf
6 BILD http://www.bild.org.uk/information/ageingwell/olderfamilies/
7 Manthorpe et al http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/abs/10.1108/WWOP-10-2014-0029
8 Sitting on bench https://pixabay.com/en/photos/old%20bench/
8 Abseiling http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-27461828
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SOURCES AND REFERENCES (2)
Slide no. Source
9 Fredman et al http://gerontologist.oxfordjournals.org/content/54/4/559.abstract
10 Life Story Network http://www.lifestorynetwork.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2015/01/Hartlepool-Carers-AC-QoL-Assessment-Nov-2014.pdf
11 Melunsky et al http://dem.sagepub.com/content/14/6/842
12 Rand and Malley http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/hsc.12089/abstract
14 O’Keeffe et al http://www.natcen.ac.uk/media/308684/p2512-uk-elder-abuse-final-for-circulation.pdf
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