K101_Tma_01

K101 – TMA 01 – HOW DO WE DETERMINE WHO IS A CARER It is import for the individuals receiving care and the carers to be recognised as such for many reasons. In no particular order of priority these include financial support, practical help, emotional support and from a training perspective to be given access to the necessary training to enable the carer to carry their duties safely. Being recognised as carer should ensure that the local authority provide the carer with information regarding any help and support the carer may be entitled to. A recognised carer is also entitled to employment rights i.e. the carers employer is obliged to take into account the carers responsibilities as a carer. The local authority is able to budget and plan for services required by carers and the person they are caring for and organisations who campaign for the rights of carers require figures to enable them to ascertain the number of people they represent. It is important for the government to have guidelines to assess who is and who is not a carer as with any system the benefits and resources available should be channelled at those who need it the most. For the purpose of this exercise I am using the case of Ann and Angus who we read about in Unit 1. In the case of Ann, she was solely responsible for the care of Angus while Bob was at work and Zoe at school. Bob helped occasionally with the more physical aspects of caring for Angus. Using the heading Duration and Frequency – Ann helped Angus with getting in and out bed, toileting/washing/bathing, dressing him. She helps him up and down the stairs, cooks his meals, does all his washing/ironing, makes sure he takes his medication on a regular if not daily basis. More broadly speaking, keeps him company as he does not socialise or participate in any hobbies. However, Ann has stated that some weeks are less demanding than others depending on Angus’s illness and feels that as a mother and wife, the household tasks i.e washing/ironing, cooking/cleaning would be done whether she was caring for Angus or not. Some tasks such as keeping Angus company are not easily quantifiable. She was able to quantify her hours in relation to tasks specific to the care of Angus. Labelling & Identity. Both Angus and Ann were reluctant to shift from the comfort of their “father and daughter” relationship to a “label”. Ann feels uncomfortable being labelled as a carer rather than a daughter as this changes the dynamics of their relationship and struggles with the idea of being “officially” recognised as Angus’s carer. Angus fears Ann may longer be the one who cares for him, struggles with the thought of strangers looking after him – he also feels very vulnerable and frightened at the prospect of facing the fact that he is really quite ill. He probably feels he may lose his sense of identity too. Interdependence Ann, Bob and Zoe live with Angus rent free so that could be defined as interdependence. Networks Ann does seem to rely on Bob to a certain extent with the more physically demanding aspects of caring for Angus. Zoe may help in smaller ways so in a broad sense everyone helps in care of Angus albeit to a much lesser extent than Ann. Ann’s network of friends and support has reduced over time and she relies on her friend Cheryl for moral support and it is Cheryl who encouraged Ann to seek help from Social Services. In conclusion and based on the guidelines / criteria set by the government Ann is a recognised carer. This is extremely important for Ann as she will able to access the services available to carers in order to help her care for Angus. Ann was exhausted and suffering from depression prior to getting help and although getting help brought about other problems Ann’s quality of life improved dramatically thereby improving life for everyone in the house. Ann was identified as a carer as she met the criteria /guidelines. 667 Words