Addressing the Needs of Informal Carers: the Impact of Caring for a Loved One and the Availability of Support Systems

The historical, traditional situation in Irish society is that the caring for family members is a normative cultural expectation. Carers provide help and support to family members or friends who require it due to illness or disability. This caring role provides many challenges to the carer and in particular places substantial mental and physical demands on the Individual. This book looks at the caring role and recognises the implications it has on the life of carers. In particular it highlights three main areas, the health of carers, financial support for carers and support systems provided for carers. This study has emphasised that providing care for an elderly person involves a considerable amount of work which can affect the wellbeing of carers and in turn affect their capacity to care. It would be useful for the government in the development of policy in Ireland, Organizations involved in providing support for carers and anyone else who works as a carer or knows a Carer, as they will truly appreciate the noble act of caring.