Statement 4 Flashcards
1
Q
Statement 4
A
‘An evaluation of informal care for older people’
2
Q
Advantages of Informal Care for Older People
A
- An older person is more likely to receive one-to-one attention from an informal carer. The older people can also receive 24-hour care and will have their needs met as the informal cater will most likely know and understand them better. This can be difficult to achieve in other care settings such as a nursing home as there are numerous other residents who require care.
- The care provided by an informal carer is likely to be more consistent as it is often the same person. As the informal carer is usually the older person’s partner, family member, neighbour or friend, they can provide care regularly and consistently over a long period of time. Good relationships are likely to exist between the informal carer and the older person. The informal carer is more likely to understand the older person’s needs and personality traits better. This can be reassuring for the older person as they may feel vulnerable when other people enter their home, such as domiciliary care workers. The informal carer will also be more able to monitor the older person’s health and ensure medication is taken to manage their condition as well as ensure they are eating and drinking enough. The informal carer will also be able to notice any changes in behaviour, mood or heath which may indicate a decline in their condition.
- It is more likely that a sense of trust is present between the older person and the informal carer, which leads to better quality care. An older person will feel more comfortable and at ease as they know the informal carer will have their best interests at heart, thus making them feel safe and secure in their home.
- There is greater flexibility when an informal career is providing care and support to an older person. The informal carer may be able to provide 24-hour care or care when is needed at the convenience of the older person. There is no time restriction on how long the informal carer can stay and provide support as there is no restriction by time allocation, that other carers such as domiciliary carers are restricted by. Informal carers can fit tasks etc into the older persons routine unlike a care work who works at times that are convenient for themselves. The informal carer can provide tailored support to the specific needs of the older person and adapt and adjust to the older person’s change of need.
- The older person can remain in their own home and retain their autonomy. It is much harder for an older person to gain a sense of independence when they are institutionalised. The older person may be relieved that they can remain in their home and with no financial pressure in relation to employing careers or moving into a care home. The older person will also feel safe and secure, and will feel much happier as they are being cared for by a loved one in a familiar environment. This can reduce anxiety and confusion especially if they have dementia. The informal carer will include the older person in decisions regarding the home such as financial decisions. This will help the older person’s mind to stay active and engaged.
Studies have show that older people tend to live longer healthier lives when cared for in their own home in a familiar environment as this is where they are most comfortable. Moving elsewhere to a care home etc can cause the older person to experience ’move trauma’, which results in distress, decline and reduced life expectancy. - The older person can also have regular contact with family, friends and neighbours if cared for in their own home by an informal carer. This helps the older person to remain socially involved as they are integrating with others in their community. Having visitors promotes a sense of wellbeing and helps to increase a sense of self-esteem and prevents loneliness, anxiety and stress. An older person may not have these opportunities as some people do not visit care homes as they are located far away from their own home.
- Often an older person will not have to pay for the care given by the informal cater. This will enable to older person to purchase additional services to meet their care needs. Informal care can save the older person’s family money as they are not paying for care for the older person which can be very expensive. Older people do not want to leave their homes to go into more formalised settings such as care homes as they want to retain their independence and use their savings as they wish.
3
Q
Disadvantages of Informal Care for Older People
A
- Informal care is unregulated. This means that there are no checks on quality of care provided. This could mean that the older person may be receiving poor care or being abused by their informal carer, without anyone knowing. There is no requirement for informal carers to have an Access NI background check done prior to their caring role. This could mean that the older person is at risk of abuse, neglect and exploitation. Sometimes the people who are trust and relied on by the older person, are the ones who carry out harm and abuse.
- Informal caters are often untrained and lack knowledge and expertise in caring for an older person and therefore may not be equipped to provide quality care. This could mean that the needs of the older person are not met fully. It could also mean the older person may suffer from injuries or increased pain as a result of the care given.
- An older person may be emotionally affected and feel guilty that they need the help from an informal carer and they feel that they are a burden. They may become depressed as they feel they are putting pressure and strain on their family. They may also feel embarrassed that their loved one is having to help them with personal care and household tasks. As the older person’s health deteriorates it is often left to one person to provide most of the care and this can leave the informal carer feeling overwhelmed and exhausted, which can further lead to ill health.
- An older person who is on their own a lot may feel isolated and could miss out on opportunities to socialise with others as they would be able to do while receiving care in other sectors. The informal cater could find it very exhausting and stressful to take the individual out socially, especially if they are the sole carer. Furthermore, the informal carer may be unaware of popular of support and social interaction available within the community, such as local day centres. The informal cater may also not encourage visitors to the older person’s home as this could increase the burden and stress involved in caring.
- An informal career may be unreliable and may not be able to come daily or be able to devote long periods of their time when they do visit. If there is no support or backup, or if the informal cater needs time off work if they are ill, the older person may be left without support and could be vulnerable. At these times the older person may not eat, become unwell and neglect their personal care and medication.
- Caring for an older person is both physically and emotionally demanding. Often it can be a 24 hour job. An informal cater could be physically exhausted and experience stress and not cope well. Resentment can also affect the caring relationship and the older person may not receive the quality care needed. This may be the case if the informal cater is trying to balance a career, manage their home and family plus care for an older person at the same time.
- The informal cater may not have the resources to provide adequate care for an older person. The older person’s home or carers home may not be equipped or suitable to meet all the needs of an older person safely or adequately. They may also have to wait for equipment to be provided and this can take time for statutory services to provide the equipment or aids necessary due to financial issues.
- The informal cater may experience financial problems. Informal careers do not get paid or may only receive a carers allowance. They may not be able to work outside the home and so have very little income compared to the volume of work they do. This can lead to resentment towards the older person perhaps affecting the quality of care provided and their relationship.
4
Q
Advantages of informal care for older people
-Main points
A
5
Q
Disadvantages of informal care for older people
- Main points
A
