Attitudes to caring among a group of informal carers of elderly dependants

Two hundred and fifty-six carers of elderly people aged 70 and over were questioned on their attitudes towards their caring role and their preferences for their own future care. Despite the fact that most were providing assistance at high personal cost, most cares were highly committed to their caring role. However, those who felt that their caring role caused them high levels of stress were more likely to envisage circumstances under which they would be unable to continue care-giving, more likely to say that they would accept institutional care for their dependants, and less likely to have positive expectations of family care for themselves. It is suggested that, in planning services, the needs of carers (especially those under high levels of stress) should be taken into account as much as those of the elderly people for whom they provide care.