Carers
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The future of caring: know the facts
If you missed 'the future of caring' webchat first time round, don't worry. Click here to watch it again. If you don't have it already you will need to download Adobe Flashplayer to watch the broadcast. Click here to download it for free.
There are currently six million people across the UK who provide unpaid care to someone they know – a figure that will only increase with Britain's ageing population
If you care for a friend or relative, or are a receiver of care yourself, you will know first hand the true cost of caring. Carers' Allowance is the lowest benefit, set at just £53.10 a week. Carers also rarely get a chance to take a break from the role – more than a third (31%) of long-term providers have never taken a holiday.
The government's recent Green Paper, 'Shaping the Future of Care Together', is attempting to update the nation's care system for the first time since the 1940s to create a system that fits our 21st century needs and provides long-term financial provision for those in care.
The problem of how to 'fix' the funding gap is addressed in the green paper. According to research by Saga the current postcode lottery looks particularly unpopular, with half of over 50s questioned (51%) in favour of a system that would see the government provide a set standard of care for everybody, regardless of where they live, and which could be topped up by the individual if they wish. Only one in five (21%) of those preferred an insurance policy approach, paid throughout their working lives. The alternative strategy of a one off payment at retirement or death equally lacks support (6%). The vast majority (84%) of over 50s also resoundingly agree that the current system of means testing is unfair.
Carers need to be empowered and informed to the help currently available, and what they can do to improve the quality of life – for both themselves and recipients of care. In our live and interactive webTV show you posed your questions to Phil Hope MP, Minister of State for Care Services, over some of the proposed changes and where the future for caring lies. Joining the minister was Emma Soames, Editor-at-Large of Saga Magazine, who is at the forefront of attempts to lobby for change.
If you missed 'The future of caring' webchat first time round, don't worry. Click here to watch it again. If you don't have it already you will need to download Adobe Flashplayer to watch the broadcast. Click here to download it for free.
Useful links
- Click here to visit our carers section and find out about Saga Respite for Carers Trust
- Long-term care: a Q&A with Saga expert Alex Edmans
- Keeping Mum: Marianne Talbot's celebrated blog about caring for her mother, who had Alzheimer's disease
- Video: Marianne Talbot and Emma Soames talk about the reality of caring
- Coping with caring: Marianne's advice
- A candid Q&A with singer Rick Guard, whose mother had Alzheimer's disease
- Care homes in an ideal world
- Caring for a loved one with dementia
- The nursing home survival guide
- Questions for care homes
- Crucial contacts for carers: phone numbers, websites
Saga Zone
Saga Care Funding Advice Service
Information on this site is for interest only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should consult your own doctor about any specific health concerns.
