Carers and the Issues They Face

Abstract

With a rapidly ageing population, it is widely accepted that many more of us will become carers of a family member before needing care ourselves later in life. With anticipated medical advances and higher expectations with regard to quality of life, it is estimated that one in three of us will become a carer at some point. This article aims to define who carers are and their importance to the well-being of the general population, describe their health-related problems and explore the different ways GP surgeries can support them.