Abstract
Caring for carers
Personal continuing relationship-based care is fundamental to our role as GPs. The relationship between carer and GP practice is a special one and should be recognized as a partnership in care. The articles in this edition of InnovAiT discuss the critical part that we can play in supporting carers and those they care for.
The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) has been working with The Princess Royal Trust for Carers for several years. We have produced an Action Guide which was distributed to all practices in England outlining examples of good practice and tips for improving care for carers. Last year in partnership with The Princess Royal Trust, we developed an award for recognizing practices that provide outstanding care for carers. This award is based on carer nomination and the practice is then asked to provide supporting information of the high quality and innovative work that they do to improve the health and well-being of carers. We are about to launch a series of e-learning sessions through eGP based on the articles in InnovAiT.
Support for carers and families is crucial to the achievement of better health outcomes for patients. Demographic change and medical advances are improving survival rates for older people and there are more people with long-term conditions and complex disabilities. However, the well-being of this changing population will to a large extent depend on the ability of carers to provide ongoing support at home and in community settings. Carers should be recognized as partners in care. Carers know the people they care for better than anyone else and should be involved in their care planning.
The long-term vision of the National Carers Strategy is that:
By 2018, carers will be universally recognized and valued as being fundamental to strong families and stable communities. Support will be tailored to meet individuals' needs, enabling carers to maintain a balance between their caring responsibilities and a life outside caring, while enabling the person they support to be a full and equal citizen.
The last Census (2001) reported that there were 5.67 million carers in Great Britain (around 5.2 million carers in England and Wales and almost 500 000 in Scotland). Fifty-eight per cent of carers were women and 42% were men. Sixty-eight per cent of carers care for up to 19 hours a week, 11% for 11–49 hours and 21% for 50 or more hours. Over 65s account for a third of all those carers providing more than 50 hours a week. Fifty-eight per cent of carers are obliged to give up employment because of caring responsibilities. Sixty per cent of carers providing high levels of care report a negative impact on their own health and well-being. With changing demography and family structures, there is an increase in the number of families with multigenerational (and sometimes distance) caring roles. It is increasingly common to find carers who look after their children with disabilities and older relatives. We have a key role in general practice to be able to support intergenerational carers who have particularly unique problems.
The contribution of carers is vital to the delivery of both health and social care and to the wider economy, and GPs and their teams are in an ideal position to help and support carers. About 6000 people take on the role of caring every day. We know that carers' health suffers as a result of caring so it is really important that we are able to identify carers so that we can provide much needed help and support. The article on identification of carers highlights the difficulties particularly of those who are new to caring. GPs are often the first point of contact for carers. We are in a very privileged position in general practice, in that we have a registered list of patients and we know both the patient and family, allowing us to play an invaluable role in the daily lives of carers.
Young carers are a very special group, with whom we have an important role to ensure that children under the age of 18 years who take on a role as a carer are supported so that their physical, emotional and social well-being is not adversely affected.
The GP curriculum emphasizes the holistic approach to care, and throughout training and beyond we recognize the benefits of shared decision making. Caring for carers allows us to make a vital contribution to both the health and the well-being of our patients. We need to recognize the particular needs of carers and adapt our practice so that we offer carers the services that they need. The articles in this edition of InnovAiT describe how you can make a contribution to the lives of carers in your community.