Introduction

Not all older people enjoy equal chances to experience positive health levels. It remains the case that persons aged 65 years and over experience a variety of chronic conditions, ranging from physical ailments, such as arthritis, respiratory diseases and circulatory problems, to mental health issues, such as anxiety, depression and dementia (Victor, 2010). The prevalence of these conditions and multiple pathologies experienced by older individuals is largely age-related. One consequence of this increase in morbidity with age is that, singly or in combination, these chronic conditions can challenge the ability of older people to live independently in the community by compromising their performance of essential activities of daily living. Older people in middle- and high-income countries who need care to maintain their independence at home in later life have three potential sources of help and support, namely, the formal services provided by statutory/voluntary agencies, paid services and informal care provided ‘free’ by family members. However, within the UK context, it is acknowledged that the boundaries between formal, semi-formal and informal caring systems are becoming increasingly blurred with the implementation of personalised care and individual budgets. This chapter focuses upon the role of the ‘informal’ network in supporting older people to live independently within the community. The first part briefly outlines the definition of ‘care’ and caring by enumerating the types of care needs presented by older people by examining problems encountered in performing essential activities of daily living. The subsequent parts consider the emergence of research examining the role of ‘carers’, while also discussing who cares, and their location within the broader care economy. Interwoven within such an analysis is the examination of the importance of class, gender and ethnicity for the provision and receipt of care in later life.

Care and caring

There is an extensive body of work looking at the definition of both care and caring, and this work needs to be located within broader debates about policies for older people (Fine, 2013). In terms of informal family based-care, this is clearly evident in the early studies of Sheldon (1948), who notes that of the 90% of older people who needed help with domestic matters, only 10% were aided by persons outside of the immediate family.