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Older Carers and Carers of People with Dementia: Improving and Developing Effective Support

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 December 2020

Mary Larkin ,
Melanie Henwood  and
Alisoun Milne
Mary Larkin
Affiliation:
Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies, The Open University E-mail: [email protected]
Melanie Henwood
Affiliation:
Melanie Henwood Associates E-mail: [email protected]
Alisoun Milne
Affiliation:
School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research, University of Kent E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

The policy drive to support carers is a longstanding national and international priority. Research about the design and delivery of support for carers is critical to the underpinning evidence base. Through a timely exploration of a third sector perspective, the UK-based study discussed in this article provides insights into approaches to, and the commissioning of, support for older carers and carers of people with dementia. The study highlights the importance of: embedding carers’ perspectives in service developments; the provision of both generic and targeted support which adopts a nuanced and tailored approach; titrating the delivery of information and advice at a pace to match carers’ needs; capturing quantitative and qualitative dimensions in service evaluation; and increased quantity and longevity of funding. Such insights not only complement existing research but are also generalisable to other countries at a similar stage in the development of carer support.

Keywords

Carer supportolder carerscarers of people with dementiathird sectorcommissioning
Type
Article
Information
Social Policy and Society , Volume 21 , Issue 2: THEMED SECTION: Policies and practices shaping long-term care: between an inclusivity ethos and service delivery realities , April 2022 , pp. 242 - 256
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press

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