The consequences for unpaid carers of unmet need for long-term care services in England

Abstract

Under-provision of long-term care services for people with support needs may have consequences for both them and their unpaid carers. Using in-depth interviews with 23 co-resident carers living in England, our study aimed to explore the impacts of unmet need on unpaid carers and how such impacts occur. Unmet need for services – services not being received or gaps between provision and need – had multidimensional impacts on carers. Key mechanisms were constrained opportunities through limited time or emotional resources, and constrained choices about whether and how to provide care, as well as over multiple other aspects of their lives.