Being a former carer: impacts on health and wellbeing

Much care for older, ill and disabled people is provided by informal unpaid carers usually in the context of familial relationships. Such care can involve providing support with aspects of daily living including shopping, transport to medical appointments as well as physical and personal care. Those who receive informal care may be living with multiple health conditions that give rise to complex needs such that carers might also provide assistance with managing medication and contact with health and social care professionals (Hammond et al, 2013). The variation in the extent to which carers carry out these different tasks and the amount of time they spend doing them illustrates the potentially multi-faceted nature of the caregiving experience.