Millions of elderly Brits are not getting the care they need from their own relatives, according to a new study.
Researchers questioned 2,000 adults with elderly relatives, both living alone and in care homes, revealing 52 per cent in Cardiff admit they are NOT giving them the care they need.
57 per cent said they feel guilty about their elderly relatives – with 49 per cent claiming “living far away” was an obstacle and 19 per cent claiming they are simply “too busy”.
17 per cent of residents in Cardiff are worried their elderly relative is not taking the correct medication they need – with a further four per cent of those whose relatives are in a care home in Cardiff, feeling concerned about the medicine their relatives are receiving.
The report also revealed 15 per cent of adults in Cardiff have had rows and bust ups within the wider family over whose responsibility it is to care for elderly relatives.
34 per cent said they felt responsible for their elderly relative’s well-being – however, a third also admitted they “struggle” to look after their nearest and dearest.
Shiraz Khan, head of Careplus customer experience for Well Pharmacy, which commissioned the research, said: “Caring for an elderly relative is a huge responsibility, so it’s wasn’t surprising for us when people said they find it difficult to care for their elderly relative without a care home.”
Even more upsetting, 17 per cent of people in Cardiff said caring for elderly family members had put a strain on their marriage.
A further 28 per cent said caring for someone aged in their family put pressure on their working life.
Shiraz continued: “If you decide a care home is the best place for your relative, make sure the environment can reassure any worries you have. For example, making sure an elderly relative is taking their medication correctly is a key factor.
“The system of managing medicines we have at Well Careplus, the Well Pad, ensures residents take their medicine in the safest way, relieving a key cause of concern for a quarter of respondents to this report.”
The study also showed that 29 per cent of people living in Cardiff are not completely happy with the conditions their elderly relative lives in.
This report follows a recent study of the Well Pad’s technology in UK care homes by Cardiff University, which highlighted that elderly residents are suffering an average of 24 to 48 medicinal errors per week. During the evaluation, 21 out of 23 types of these errors were eradicated with the use of the Well Pad – demonstrating the need for a drastic change in the UK’s care home medicine management processes.
