The impact of providing unpaid care at home

Nearly 85,000 people in Devon provide unpaid care, with one third (33.4%) providing more than 20 hours of unpaid care per week. To learn more about the experiences of unpaid carers and the impact of providing care at home, Healthwatch developed a survey in conjunction with Devon Carers, Improving Lives Plymouth, and the Torbay Carers Service. These organisations provide a range of support services to unpaid carers.

A survey of 11 multiple-choice and four open-ended questions was used to asked unpaid carers about adaptations to their home, the impact of caring on their physical and mental health, and their use of support services. Additionally, four optional questions were used to collect demographic information. 121 people answered the survey.

The following key findings have been identified from the overall responses.

• 60% of respondents answered “yes” to the question “do you feel you work from home?” 26% answered “somewhat,” and 14% answered “no.”
• 55% of respondents said they felt their health and safety was at risk due to their caring duties, 25% felt it was “somewhat” at risk, and 20% felt it was not at risk.
• 69% of respondents said their caring responsibilities “frequently” or “always” affect their ability to relax at home, and 52% of respondents said their caring duties “frequently” or “always” limited their ability to leave the house.
• 72% of respondents said their physical health had been worse since becoming a carer and 30% said it had been “about the same.” 84% of respondents said their mental health had been worse and 16% said it had been “about the same.” No respondents said their physical or mental health had improved.
• 50% of respondents said they had not accessed any physical or mental health support services. 33% said they had accessed mental health support and 16% said they had accessed physical health support.
• When asked how they would like to find out information about support services, the top three answers were Devon Carers (52%), nhs.uk (41%), and social media (31%).

Despite the limited response, the number of respondents who report that their caring responsibilities have had a negative impact on their health is high and yet the number of people who have sought support is low in comparison. This may be for a variety of reasons such as acceptance of their situation, insufficient time, unawareness, or lack of information of support available, or a feeling they do not need to access support. Commissioners may want to consider a follow up investigation into this area to find the specific reasons for this. Additionally future surveys could include a question on loneliness and access to transport.