Building the care skill set of unpaid carers
In the UK there are around 13.6 million unpaid family carers of older, ill and/or disabled adults. Being an unpaid carer means that many people must acquire a whole new skill set, which can include challenging tasks like avoiding pressure sores or administering medication. This project will aim to find a solution that pools practical, evidence based advice in one place to help carers build their skill set.
About the project
In the United Kingdom, there are currently around 13.6 million unpaid family carers looking after older, ill and/or disabled adults. This number increases by 6,000 people daily and over 2 million people yearly. People aged 55 years and over make up 46% of all unpaid carers and 23% of them are older than 65.
Being an unpaid carer means that people must acquire a whole new skill set, which can include challenging tasks like avoiding pressure sores, administering medication and supporting someone through distress.
Several studies in the past two years have shown that many unpaid carers suffer from poorer mental and physical health resulting from the pressure and stress associated with being a carer. Often they feel unsupported, lonely and not experienced enough to tackle care tasks. A lack of easily accessible information and support on practical care tasks makes the situation even worse.
In this project we will seek a solution to provide unpaid carers with the right high-quality information and guidance that they require whenever and wherever they require it. We will work with unpaid carers to find the best channels for them and connect with various stakeholders to bring together expert knowledge with need and demand.
To learn more about this proposal email healthylongevity@nas.edu.