STATE OF CARING REPORT 2017
Accessing practical support with caring
© Chris Steele-Perkins / Magnum , 2014
6.5 million people in the UK provide unpaid care by looking after an ill , older or disabled family member , friend or partner , and 1.4 million people provide over 50 hours of unpaid care per week . iii Yet often carers struggle for recognition and all too often go without the practical support they and the person they care for need from the wider health and care system with severe consequences . Public spending on adult social care in England has fallen by 8 % between 2009 / 10 and 2016 / 17 iv and there has been a downward trend in the number of people , in particular older people , receiving a service v – arguably with families picking up the shortfall or the older or disabled person going without any support at all .
1in5
of those caring for 50 hours or more per week , receive or buy no practical support to help them
Practical support with caring
We asked carers about the practical support they receive or buy for caring . 77 % of carers reported receiving some kind of practical support to help them care . However , almost 1 in 4 ( 23 %) said they receive or buy no practical support to help them with caring . Even among those caring for 50 hours or more per week , 1 in 5 ( 20 %) receive or buy no practical support to help them . These figures remain the same as last year .
Getting equipment in the home of the person they care for , such as a hoists , grab rails or easy-grip handles on taps , was the most likely form of support people receive , with nearly half of people ( 48 %) reporting this . Almost a third ( 31 %) said they get help from family or friends , which was broadly similar between groups . Technology like alarms , sensors or remote monitoring to help with caring is used by 25 % of people . And one in 10 ( 12 %) said they rely on a day centre that the person they support attends .
Only 28 % said they buy or receive practical support from care workers coming in to help and as few as 16 % said they buy or receive a break from caring .
Those caring for children under 18 with disabilities were most likely to be going without any support . A third ( 32 %) said they did not buy or receive any practical support with caring . Sandwich carers , who are those providing care to someone at the same time as bringing up a child without disabilities , were also among those
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