Care … What do you need to know?

The impact of self-funding on unpaid carers: lightening the load or adding to the burden 

For many older people who are paying for their care, it is their family or close friends (‘unpaid carers’) who take a main role in finding, arranging and overseeing the care arrangements. This can place heavy responsibilities on unpaid carers, over and above their other caring tasks. Responsibilities for self-funded care are not only practical, but also emotional, bound up in the dynamics of relationships between people. In this briefing we explore this unseen dimension of caring and the impact that giving support with self-funding has on the lives of unpaid carers.

Independent paid care: boon or risk? 

Some older people used ‘independent carers’, who are paid carers that work alone in small groups rather than for traditional care providers (such as, home care agencies). They are not subject to inspection or registration of their services and are self-employed. In this briefing we highlight the advantages as well as the challenges and risks that older people and independent carers told us about.