Caroline Emmer De Albuquerque Green, PHD |King’s College London, UK; Naomi Soneye-Thomas, Rachel Barber
Competition Sponsor: UK Research & Innovation
Awardee Year: 2022
In the United Kingdom, there are currently around 13.6 million unpaid family carers looking after older, ill and/or disabled adults. This number increases by 6000 people daily and over 2 million people yearly. People aged 55 years and over make up 46% of all unpaid carers and 23% of them are older than 65. Being an unpaid carer means that people must acquire a whole new skill set, which can include challenging tasks like avoiding pressure sores, administering medication and supporting someone through distress. Several studies in the past two years have shown that many unpaid carers suffer from poorer mental and physical health resulting from the pressure and stress associated with being a carer. Often they feel unsupported, lonely and not experienced enough to tackle care tasks. A lack of easily accessible information and support on practical care tasks makes the situation even worse. In this project we will seek a solution to provide unpaid carers with the right high-quality informationa and guidance that they require whenever and whereever they require it. We will work with unpaid carers to find the best channels for them and connect with various stakeholders to bring together expert knowledge with need and demand.
To learn more about this proposal email healthylongevity@nas.edu.