Health and Wellbeing
One of the four main goals of the Government White Paper "Our health, Our care, Our Say" is "better prevention services with earlier intervention".
With an ageing population and more people living with long term conditions, the National Health Service cannot remain principally a treatment service. Health services need to focus more on keeping people well.
Another goal of the White Paper is "to do more on tackling inequalities and improving access to community services".
Carers are often unrecognised, can be excluded from access to services or treatment because of their caring role, and face significant health deficits as a result of caring.
Research on carers health (92 KB) shows that high numbers of carers suffer health effects through caring. Health professionals who identify carers open up the opportunity of addressing these issues in a practical way. For instance – a carer with back problems as a result of lifting the person they care for in and out of bed can be helped by provision of a hoist or other equipment. A carer suffering from stress or depression could benefit considerably from a break from caring.
The route to many support services is through identification and referral to other agencies – to Social Services for a carers’ assessment, or to the local Carers’ Centre for information and support.
Carers are also partners in the provision of care to the person they care for. With appropriate training and support, carers can play a key role in maintaining the health of the person they care for. For instance, training the carers of stroke survivors can reduce subsequent readmissions to hospital for the patient. Resources used to equip carers with the skills, knowledge and support to undertake the role with confidence could pay dividends in the long term.
Putting People First without putting carers second (1.4 MB)
Produced jointly by The Princess Royal Trust for Carers and Crossroads
Caring for Carers, this booklet looks at how carers, and the services that support them, are responding to the personalisation agenda.
Personalisation is the driving agenda for adult social care. Increasing numbers of people will be called upon to contribute to care. Carers are, therefore, at the heart of this culture shift.
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