Supporting Older Co-Resident Carers of Older People-The Impact of Care Act Implementation in Four Local Authorities in England

Gareth O'Rourke, Liz Lloyd, Agnes Bezzina, Ailsa Cameron, Tricia Jessiman, Randall Smith

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The Care Act 2014 provides for 'parity of esteem' between people with social care needs and carers. This is achieved by extending the principles of prevention and wellbeing to carers; reinforcing carers' right to an assessment; and setting national eligibility criteria for access to carer support services. This article reports on research that examined the impact of these changes on older co-resident carers of older people in four English local authorities. Findings are described in relation to four key themes: organisational arrangements and rationale; the aims of carer support and preventative services; design and delivery of carer assessment; and barriers to assessment and support. The findings of the research suggest that, despite the new statutory requirements, underlying contradictions and tensions in local authorities' relationship with carers, and efforts to support them, remain unresolved.

Original languageEnglish
Number of pages14
JournalSocial Policy and Society
Early online date11 Sept 2020
DOIs
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 11 Sept 2020

Keywords

  • Care Act 2014
  • Older carers
  • support

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