What are carers biggest issues? opinions needed!

Replies

By graham

Re: What are carers biggest issues? opinions needed!
Sun 28 Sep 2008 19:40

Well Mel......Firstly good luck with your dissertation on carers related issues.
'Are we caring for carers'....A look at the services available etc etc etc would be my personal choice. The services from Local Authorities are far from ideal & grossly underfunded : However it is far to easy to blame the LA's for it .....It is public pressure to keep Council tax levels down that is the real culprit. Name me a political party that goes into a political campaign under the ticket 'Council tax up to pay for proper services'............No ! There are none...of course not ! Any party would lose with that 'ticket'

It is clear to me that there will never be any improvement in the lot of carers ( & indeed social services in general ) unless the general public start to accept that much more money has to be found to support carers in their roles & others in our society that are in need of support : To sum up then...What is needed is a change in public perception & an acceptance that we need more money & more support & that taxes will have to go up to pay for it. As long as the public resist paying for anything other than what affects them personally nothing will ever change........As I often say Local Authorities have NO money of their own...only the money of Council tax payers & the public don't want to know unless it's them that need the help....

By JeanM

Re: What are carers biggest issues? opinions needed!
Sun 28 Sep 2008 20:23

Raise the public awareness of how easy it is to become a carer and how difficult life gets after, not because of the actual caring, but because of the lack of services and resources, endless stress caused by having to fight for just the basics and lack of finance.

By gemini mum

Re: What are carers biggest issues? opinions needed!
Sun 28 Sep 2008 21:34

Hi Mel.

Good luck with your dissertation. I think any one of the topics that have been suggested here are good to write about. You could also think about how being a carer affects your socail relationships with others. Such as the affects of your relationship with your partner / husband/ wife ect.. Ie. what sort of strain ( ot not ) it puts on your relationship. or perhaps a potential partner being put off a relationship by the fact that you are a carer. >> Or as a carer of a child,what effect if any does this have on the siblings of that child. or mayby how does being a carer affect your relationships with other family members. IE.. if caring for a parent, is the work load divided between all the children of that parent and if not what knock on effect does this have in the family. Also, if you suddenly become a carer, are you able to make and maintain friendships or do the friends you have slowly drop out of your life. ect ect... How do your social interactions change if you suddenly become a carer compared to if you have always been a carer. Anyhow I hope you know the sort of thing i mean. There seems to be so many issues which surround being a carer I don't think you'll have a hard time thinking of stuff to write about.

let us know what you decide and perhaps you could give us the gist of your findings.

Gem.

By Bernie56

Re: What are carers biggest issues? opinions needed!
Sun 28 Sep 2008 22:35

God luck with the dissertation, I think the efects on being your parteners carer is a good route to go down. It is hard o imagine just what a huge diference it makes to every aspect of your life.
Whatever you write about Good Luck

By Parsifal

Re: What are carers biggest issues? opinions needed!
Mon 29 Sep 2008 13:05

The appalling level of CA and the overlapping benefit rule is a major issue for many carers along with the £95 earnings limit for working carers; lack of affordable, appropriate services, including respite, is another regularly mentioned concern. If these were addressed it seems to me that many of the other issues would be addressed too. Good luck with your dissertation.

By Dawn Raider

Re: What are carers biggest issues? opinions needed!
Mon 29 Sep 2008 16:08

Better, more flexible respite - and employment opportunities for both carers and disabled people. We both have a lot to offer!

By Parsifal

Re: What are carers biggest issues? opinions needed!
Mon 29 Sep 2008 16:41

But no pressure or sanctions for those for whom work isn't a viable option.

By Tricia

Re: What are carers biggest issues? opinions needed!
Mon 29 Sep 2008 16:42

Not to be bombarded about not being in paid work.

To have a decent standard of livable income so I don't have to be constantly worried finances due to the poor income us Carer's receive in Carers Allowances. I would be a lot better off if I were to rent my home but if I was to move into rented accomodation my son would then be probably living in unsuitable accomodation.

More training for carers.

Health and safety guidelines to be law.

An average wage

Holiday entitlement

Employment rights (Civil servants get them)

Care plan for every carer to be enforced

Good luck Mel please let us know what topics you decide to cover in your disentation.

By picasso

Re: What are carers biggest issues? opinions needed!
Mon 29 Sep 2008 19:40

Being a carer means a lifetime of poverty would be a good subject.
This is especially so for the carers of their own children. I have been a carer of my child for 30 years with no end in sight as child fit and healthy BUT severely mentally handicapped. Have never been able to work so no chance of saving or contributing to pension schemes.
I read recently of someone who had to give up work to look after husband with Alzeimers which she did for about 10 years and her and her husbands calculated loss of earnings until retirement was close to half a million pounds.
My ex husband bailed out years ago as he couldn't take the strain but it would be interesting to think about my financial loss, there again I cannot calculate it as my child could outlive me very easily.
Time for a Government to treat carers fairly I think and pay us a living wage. We should shout louder but we don't we just get on with our lot which is just as those in power likeit. Not like we can strike can we?

By mel

Re: What are carers biggest issues? opinions needed!
Mon 29 Sep 2008 19:56

Thanks All,
Your responces have been ever so helpful, and has helped me narrow it down to a main heading. I was finding it hard to concentrate on one area as I wanted to discuss so many things.
My title has to be submitted to a committee next week, so there's a chance it may be changed, but I'm thinking of researching something along the lines of:-
"What are the impacts on a relationship when one person starts caring for a partner or a relative".
I will also bring in the other issues that have an impact such as the number of hours people have to care due to the lack of services, the financial strain on the relationship, not being able to maintain other relationships, other peoples expectations of the carers role etc etc so a few subjects will be covered within it!

I will create questionnaires for both carers and 'cared for' to make sure both perspectives are looked at.

Thanks again, you're help is much appreciated! x