Self-funded elder care and the Care Act 2014: insights from a qualitative study of family carers’ experiences
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to look at family carers’ views and experiences of self-funded care for older people with an emphasis on attitudes to public intervention.
Design/methodology/approach
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with family carers in a densely populated city in Northern England. Study participants were recruited according to a purposive sampling strategy; data analysis was based on a qualitative content analysis approach.
Findings
The paper concludes that it may not be straightforward for local authorities to engage with family carers as appropriate under the Care Act 2014. An issue is that family carers do not envisage an intervention of the local authority in circumstances involving the use of privately paid social services.
Research limitations/implications
Qualitative information gathered within a broad study of family carers’ views, attitudes and practices of care of dependent older people have been interpreted in the light of the provisions of the Care Act 2014 concerning self-funders. The qualitative approach and the limited number of study participants are issues with the generalisation of findings.
Originality/value
Only a handful of studies have attempted to look into family carers’ experiences of self-funded care and the paper aims to contribute to such limited literature. It also provides an evidence-based assessment of the challenges associated with the implementation of the Care Act 2014.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This paper is based on the work that the author carried out as doctoral researcher at the School of Sociology and Social Policy in the University of Leeds between 2009 and 2014. Many thanks to Fiona Williams and Sue Yeandle for their support and advice throughout all stages of the research. The author is also grateful to the School of Sociology and Social Policy and the Centre for International Research on Care, Labour and Inequalities in the University of Leeds for providing funding.
Citation
Mangano, A. (2016), "Self-funded elder care and the Care Act 2014: insights from a qualitative study of family carers’ experiences", Working with Older People, Vol. 20 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/WWOP-03-2016-0007
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2016, Emerald Group Publishing Limited