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CARER IDENTIFIER

Definition

This topic identifies whether the selected respondent has provided unpaid care, help or assistance to someone with a long-term health condition or disability, or problem related to old age, in the last 4 weeks (i.e. whether the respondent has current unpaid care responsibilities).

Population

Information was obtained for persons aged 15 years and over in the 2014-15 NHS.

Methodology

The following Carer Identifier question was asked immediately after the Disability module:

• I am now going to ask you about the help you may provide to others. Do not include any help you give through an organisation, or any paid help. In the last 4 weeks, have you spent time providing unpaid care, help or assistance to someone with a long-term health condition or disability, or problem related to old age?
  

• The topic includes help or supervision of someone because this person’s condition limits their ability to perform everyday activities, or who has problems due to their old age. It also includes shared care responsibilities for helping or supervising someone. In the case of respondents receiving Centrelink payments, such as Carer’s Payment or Carer’s Allowance, the assistance was regarded as unpaid, and was therefore included.
• The topic excludes help provided to another as a favour or out of kindness, but the recipient does not actually need to be helped. That is, the recipient can easily perform the activity themselves. For example, someone carrying an elderly person’s shopping even though the elderly person is capable of doing it themselves. It also excludes only providing company to another person, but not actually supervising them; where done as part of the respondent’s job (for example a nurse or respite care worker) or as part of voluntary work conducted for an organisation or group; and care provided to a young child.
• Long-term health condition or disability refers to any impairment, limitation or restriction which limits certain everyday activities and this condition has lasted, or is expected to last, for six months or more. It includes restrictions due to diseases, disorders, or damage from injuries or accident.
• Help includes physical assistance as well as supervision provided by another person. Assistance may be given with activities such as washing, dressing or meal preparation, communicating, moving around, transportation to appointments, etc.
• The respondent may or may not live in the same household as the person they care for. Examples include caring for an elderly parent(s), child with a disability or an unrelated person who may have a long-term illness.