CARERS OF THE ELDERLY - KNOWLEDGE, USE OF AND SATISFACTION WITH DAY-CARE SERVICES

This is a descriptive study of carers of dependent elderly in inner ci ty Dublin, outlining their awareness, use oi and satisfaction with day services. A striking finding from this work, consistent with other st udies, is the heavy burden of care which is shouldered by informal car ers which should be acknowledged by society. The study highlights a) t hat levels of use of domiciliary care by carers appear to be very low, b) that there is some evidence of targeting of domiciliary services t o the more dependent elderly, c) that day centres and clubs are popula r and acceptable to a minority of carers, d) that many carers have no informal help, e) where informal help is available, relatives of carer s play a very important role in facilitating carers to accept formal d omiciliary care. Recommendations include, a) improving the level and r ange of provision of domiciliary care, b) alerting professionals such as general practitioners and public health nurses to their role as inf ormant and facilitator of formal care to carers, c) formulating a plan to encourage uptake of domiciliary services by carers, d) review of c are provided in day centres.