Ageing People Giving and Receiving Care

Chapter 6: Ageing People Giving and Receiving Care

Overview:

• Defines ‘carer’ and the varying needs of someone in a caring role
• Outlines information on formal and informal support for a carer
• Directs others on how to support carers
• Explains what caring involves including outlines on financial issues, emotional and psychological aspects, and the transition to becoming a carer
• Varying strategies and advice for all carers and professionals

Description:

Ageing people both give and receive care and support within their homes and community. The first section of this chapter takes a global overview of the various challenges people face when they take on the primary caring role of ageing people. It covers issues  such as the effect caring has on the emotional, psychological, and physical wellbeing of carers. The second part of the chapter looks specifically at ageing people who are carers of the middle-aged or younger people with life-long disabilities, primarily those people with an intellectual disability. The chapter also discusses the challenges facing all carers when they are thinking about relinquishing full-time care and the difficulties this transition may represent.

Topics:

Part One: Carers of Ageing People Living at Home

• Introduction
• Who cares for the ageing members of our community?
• What are the needs of someone in a caring role?
  • The need for information and formal support
  • The emotional and psychological aspect of caring
  • Financial issues
• Anticipation and prevention are better than management techniques
• Client and carer: individual and dual assessment
• Transitions and decision making

Part Two: The unique challenges of supporting Older Carers of Younger and Middle-Aged Adults with Disabilities

• Introduction
• Different challenges
• What the literature states
• Strategies for working with older carers
• Resources
• References

Speaker / Author:

Theresa Cluning

Registered Nurse, Registered Midwife, Diploma of Applied Science - Community Health and Maternal and Child Health, Bachelor of Applied Science (Advanced Nursing), Master of Educational Studies, Fellow of the College of Nursing Australia.

Theresa has worked in many roles in various areas of health care including acute hospitals, residential care, community health, academia and community case management. She has worked with many people who have cared for others and is always humbled by the experience. Having also been a carer herself, she is aware not only of the sadness and the pleasure that caring for another person can bring, but also of the physically, emotionally and psychologically demanding nature of the carer’s role.

Christine Bigby

Bachelor of Arts with Honours, Master of Social Work, Doctor of Philosophy. Senior Lecturer in the Department of Social Work and Social Policy, La Trobe University, Bundoora Campus, Melbourne.

Dr Christine Bigby works in the Department of Social Work and Social Policy at La Trobe University. She has extensive experience as a social work practitioner in both direct service and policy development. Her primary research and practice interest for the last 10 years has been older carers and ageing people with intellectual disability. Her doctoral research examined the informal and formal sources of support for middle-aged and older people with intellectual disability and the nature of their transition from parental care in mid-life.

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