Commentary: 'More Pressure on 46-65 year olds?'
Commentary: 'More Pressure on 46-65 year olds?'
In the UK, data shows that you're likely to feel more pressure to take on more care and support for your loved ones. You're entitled to a choice, can you start the talk?
Some warnings ahead of the Autumn Statement next week.
Caveat: I’m not an expert on government affairs, social care or the healthcare system. My intention is to present information and facts that could impact us. I offer observations, insights potential implications and hypotheses; food for thought. Care, be Aware, Prepare and Engage. (CAPE) Carers are not superhuman.
Thursday, November 16 2023.
Following the publication of ADASS’s Autumn Survey Report 2023, Care England has expressed concern about the findings. Autumn Alarm
Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England said:
“With the needs of the population growing and the money allocated for social care not increasing to match, the maths simply doesn’t add up. Access to social care should not be a battle for those who need it. Without funding from central government to allow for an expansion of care provision, we share ADASS’s concerns that people will be left without care.”
Without the right investment in care, people will not be able to access the care they need, impacting their health, and affecting those around them who, in many cases, must take up caring duties themselves.
This highlights the disconnect between the Care Act 2014 legislation and the everyday reality of care in the UK. See below.
So What does this mean for you and me?
We will feel more pressure to figure out a way to care for our loved ones. However, for me this assumes
a) that there are people (family or friends) who will care for those with mental or physical illness or disability and
b) these people can provide the quality, type and amount of care that’s needed.
We are not paid, not trained and still have to earn to pay the bills. If we decide to stop working, the Carers Allowance is less than the minimum wage.
According to Carers UK, over the period 2010-2020, every year, 4.3 million people became unpaid carers – 12,000 people a day (Petrillo and Bennett, 2022). People aged 46-65 were the largest age group to become unpaid carers; 41% of people who became unpaid carers were in this age group (Petrillo and Bennett, 2022).
The most recent 2021 Census estimated the number of unpaid carers at 5.7 million across the UK. However, Carers UK research in 2022 estimates the number could be as high as 10.6 million. One in seven people in the workplace in the UK is juggling work and care (Carers UK, Juggling Work and Care, 2019). Key Facts and Figures from Carers UK website
Bottom line: Unpaid Carers are already the backbone of the healthcare system. With reduced funding to local authorities to provide social care support, there will be even more pressure on individuals to care for others. There will be more and more people, ‘sleepwalking’ into taking on more responsibilities and burden of care, in the absence of support. This means, that the age group of the working population who are expected to drive growth, the UK economy and train the next generation of workers, will be forced to reconsider their priorities, much like they did during the pandemic in 2020.
A personal opinion: Be aware and Prepare. Even if the person, you have in mind has savings it doesn’t mean there are resources, or services, available in their area to help them; it’s a postcode lottery. Quality of care, duration of each care visit, as well as the number of visits possible, is highly variable geographically and over time. There is already a heavy workload on social services. Today, the demand is significantly higher than the number of care workers and funding. So whilst some people talk about a 2 tier system of private and public services, don’t assume it exists. There are areas in England where the 2-3 care agencies are used by both social care services and privately. Even in London, there are disparities between boroughs.
I know this from personal experience; advising and trying to support family or friends at a distance. I’ve encountered several well-meaning people with lots of suggestions, only to find out that, in the end, what they suggested wasn’t possible. There are simply not enough people. I now, default to ‘Never Assume things will happen or be able to be delivered, even if there is some money to spend’. This is also why I took the decision to resign from my full-time job to help my Mum look after Dad, in the north of England. Eyes, wide open, I made the choice that felt right for me.
We each need to make a decision about what we can, and want to do. I’m NOT advocating that you take on caring. My recommendation is to start the discussion about loved one’s wishes, now and in small steps, align on what is possible. Constructive heartfelt, gentle communication is essential as these pressures increase. A starting point.
Carers UK Practical Support
mobilise Guides & support
The Care Act (2014)
Information from the Carers Trust (revised 2018)
The Care Act 2014 came into force in April 2015, with some elements coming into force in April 2016.
It put in place significant new rights for carers in England including:
A focus on promoting wellbeing.
A duty on local councils to prevent, reduce and delay need for support, including the needs of carers.
A right to a carer’s assessment based on the appearance of need.
A right for carers’ eligible needs to be met.
A duty on local councils to provide information and advice to carers in relation to their caring role and their own needs.
A duty on NHS bodies (NHS England, clinical commissioning groups, NHS trusts and NHS foundation trusts) to co-operate with local authorities in delivering the Care Act functions.
Taken together, these new rights should have a significant impact on carers and the support available for carers. However, this is dependent on local councils putting these rights in place.
Further information about the Act, and a useful series of factsheets, are available from the Department of Health and Social Care.
Carers UK responds to ADASS Autumn Survey 2023
16 November 2023
On Thursday 16th November 2023 The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) published the second of two reports summarising data from ADASS’ Autumn Survey of Directors of Adult Social Services.
Responding, Helen Walker, chief executive at Carers UK, said:
"It’s devastating to read the new ADASS report which is predicting further cuts to social care as we go into the winter months.
"Behind every person waiting for care support, or to have their care needs assessed, there is often an unpaid carer. It’s unacceptable that families are being placed in a position where they have very little choice about having to provide many hours of care - impacting on their health and wellbeing, employment opportunities and household finances.
"Unpaid carers have been under huge pressure for some time, bearing the brunt of the pandemic, not being able to rely on services because they’ve not returned to former levels, and the cost-of-living crisis. What they want is good quality care services and a proper night’s sleep – so that they receive some respite from the intensity of their caring roles. Our recent State of Caring report showed a mental health emergency amongst unpaid carers: almost three quarters (73%) whose mental health is bad or very bad continue to care despite feeling at breaking point.
"Carers deserve better. The Government must deliver a robust and sustainable funding settlement for social care in the coming autumn statement."