Research

Retirement on Hold

Resource title: Retirement on Hold
Published: 2016    Author: Carers Trust

Our Retirement on Hold report highlighted some of the challenges faced by older carers and made recommendations to improve their experience now and in the future. 

Key points

  • Care coordination – carers said they were spending too much time, and became stressed and anxious when trying to organise care and support for the person with care needs. 
  • Carers are caring for someone else when they have their own age-related health condition.
  • The pressures around carers feeling they had a 'duty to care' – the Care Act recognises that caring should be a choice.
  • Lack of appropriate replacement care to enable carers to take a break. 

Key recommendations

  • Access to a 'care coordinator' – many older carers felt this would help them navigate the health and care system. It is recognised that with limited resources this may not be feasible, however, earlier referral to a carer organisation may help improve the situation for carers. 
  • Appropriate and timely access to information and advice about support available locally, nationally and UK wide. This information would need to recognise that not all older carers are able to access the internet.
  • Improved access to appropriate and good quality replacement care.