Nid yw'r tudalen hwn ar gael yn Gymraeg ar hyn o bryd. Dyma'r fersiwn Saesneg.

Gofalwyr

Background

The 2001 Census identified 340,000 Carers in Wales. This is 11.9% of the population. Out of which 13% of Carers are aged over 65. 61.1% provides care between 1-19 hours, 12.6% provide care between 20-49 hours and 26.3% provide care of 50 hours or more per week. 23.7% of Carers reported that their health was not good.
The 2001 Census identified over 4,600 young Carers aged under 18 in Wales.

What is a Carer?

A carer is an individual who provides a substantial amount of care on a regular basis for a child who is disabled or for a person aged 18 or over. The support a carer provides includes:
  • safe lifting, moving and handling
  • help with feeding
  • personal hygiene
  • administering medication
  • emotional support
  • assistance with life-skills
  • acting as an advocate or guardian for the cared-for person
  • helping someone to access housing, leisure, recreation, financial
    and legal advice and other services of benefit
  • helping someone manage their finances
  • use of aids and adaptations

Policy Context

The Carers Strategies (Wales)Measure places a duty on the NHS and Local Authorities in Wales to work jointly to prepare, publish and implement a strategy for carers. The objective of the Carers Strategy in Wales - Implementation Plan is to improve in the longer term the health and well-being of carers and those for whom they care.

Services

The British Red Cross provides a wide range of services throughout Wales.

Carers Wales is an organisation working for a better deal for Carers in Wales. They have a web site with useful details of financial and practical help and events.

Employers for Carers is a service for employers to help you retain the 1 in 7 employees in your workforce caring for a family member

Crossroads is a voluntary organisation that can provide respite care when you need a break

CareAware is a helpful website for advice about funding care for an older person.

Abertawe Bro Morgannwg Health Board has a carers page below:

Cardiff and Vale Community Health Council hold meetings in their locality to provide carers with the opportunity to have a constructive dialogue with representatives from the Cardiff & Vale University Health Board.

The Princess Royal Trust for Carers is the largest provider of comprehensive carers support in the UK. The interactive website has very useful information and a discussion board for carers.

Resources

The website of Public Health Wales Observatory includes links to key policy documents detailing targets, data sources including European statistics and reviews of evidence. Welsh language titles are included to indicate when a bilingual or Welsh version is available.

The Welsh Assembly Government's website provides a selection of publications relating to Carers.

Directgov - the official UK government website for citizens contains useful information on:

The Review of Respite Care in Wales was commissioned by the Welsh Assembly Government. Until this research was completed, limited evidence existed in Wales regarding the existing usage, capacity and range of respite provision across Wales and the patterns and volume of demand for respite services.

Research

The All Wales Alliance for Research & Development in Health & Social Care at Bangor University has published a report below: