New research highlights lack of awareness of elderly care options

New research* has highlighted that, while a quarter of British adults have either organised or are in the process of organising care for a relative or friend who is no longer able to cope at home alone, there is a lack of awareness of the different options that are available.

And despite the fact that a major report, commissioned by Kings Fund* on ‘Securing Good Care for Older People’ highlighted that the elderly have a preference for care in their own homes, options like organising a live-in carer (as an alternative to going into a residential home) are almost unknown.

The options that people are most aware of are ‘getting people to visit the home to provide help or care’ (such as home helps, nurses or through social services)  of which 42% were aware, family and friends providing the care and support (39%) or the person going into a residential or nursing home (29%)

But there was very little awareness of other options, such as organising a live-in carer to live with the relative and provide care.  Only 4% of respondents knew of this option, which can be an alternative to a residential home and can allow a more independent life.

There are now companies, such as Helping Hands Homecare that can provide this service throughout England and Wales.  The service can be funded privately or through social services (subject to assessment)

Comments Paul Cann, Director of Policy and Research at Help the Aged: “Arranging the care of an older person is something that most of us have to do at some point.  It is concerning that there is still a lack of awareness of the full range of options that are available, and we hope that this new research will lead to an increase in awareness of options such as live-in care.”

Comments Lindsey Edgehill of Helping Hands Homecare:  “The Wanless Social Care Review on securing good care for older people highlighted that older people prefer to receive care at or close to home.  The Report also noted that the proportion of older people receiving home care in England is low by international standards.

“The new research has also shown that, when people become aware of live-in care, the majority (76%) believe that a live-in carer would be a better option than the relative going into a residential home.  This is because most people believe that their relative would be happier, be able to continue with their own life and routines and that they could keep some independence.  However, most people do not know that this is even an option which can be considered.”

Comments John McAdams, whose mother receives live-in care from Helping Hands Homecare: “My mother needed 24 hour care, so I and my two brothers could not look after her. My mother and I were very keen for her to stay in her own home because lots of her family and friends lived nearby, she had a social life and she wasn’t ready to move into a residential home. I started to search on the internet for ways in which my mother could receive care at home, as at the time I was unaware of live-in care.

“Live-in care from Helping Hands Homecare has enabled my mother to keep her job in the bookshop, which she does one day a week. It really is the perfect situation, my mother is very relaxed and it is no coincidence that she has not suffered one stroke since her carer, Kathy, has been looking after her.”

Other research findings - What care choices would people like to make?

Faced with the question of what to do when an elderly relative can no longer cope, the research showed that many of us would like to try to care for the relative ourselves or with other members of the family, with 33% choosing this as the choice they believed they would be most likely to make.  Arranging for the relative to go into a residential home was the next most common choice, with 18% believing they would choose this option.  And 13% of people think they would try to get support and care through people visiting the relative’s home, such as home helps or social services.

How would people feel about their decision?

However, in addition to a low awareness of the care options available, there are also concerns about how people feel about their decisions.

Even amongst those who said that they would try to manage the care themselves or with family, only 57% said they would feel happy about that decision.  And of those who believed that their relative would go into a residential home, only 42% would be happy with that decision, with 51% either feeling guilty about the decision or not being happy, but being unsure of what else they could do.

*In September 2006 on-line omnibus research was conducted amongst a representative sample of the British population (1045 adults in total) the research was conducted by TNS.  In addition, a focus group was held with people who were currently in the situation of having to consider care for a relative and interviews were conducted amongst Helping Hands’ clients and their families.

If you would like to know more about Live-In Care please call 0808 180 9488 or enquire online.

Helping Hands are also a care provider to Social Services and a member of the United Kingdom Home Care Association (the UKHCA). If you are a social health care professional then click here for more information on the flexible care solutions we already provide.