More than 68,000 people over the age of 58 provide care to loved ones and those who provide high levels of care tend to experience poorer health and wellbeing, new research has found.

Researchers at the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) at Trinity College Dublin (TCD) carried out an analysis of the role of family care and home supports for older adults in Ireland.

As people are living longer now, the number of those who will require some form of care is set to increase in the future. Family caring plays a key role in this, however being a carer can be difficult, particularly if no supports are available.

The research analysed data from five waves of the TILDA study between 2009 and 2018. It found that 13% of people over the age of 50 had a functional limitation. This is a combination of limitations in instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), such as difficulties cooking, cleaning and grocery shopping, and basic functional activities (ADLs), such as difficulties with eating, dressing and washing.

The percentage of people with IADLs and ADLs who received family care and home support increased from 45% in wave 1 to 60% in wave 5. In wave 5, the majority of this help - 70% - was provided by family carers, while 30% received State-funded or private home support.

For both men and women with functional limitations, their main carer was their spouse (47%). However, among older adults who reported basic functional limitations, 18% said they needed help all the time, but did not get any.

During wave 5, 7% of women and 5% of men over the age of 58 reported providing informal care to a loved one - this amounts to 68,500 people.

The researchers also looked at the impact of caring on these caregivers. They found that generally, family caring was linked with positive health outcomes, however this appeared to depend on the intensity of caring provided.

Compared to non-carers, women who provided up to 49 hours per week of care reported better self-rated health and wellbeing, lower depressive symptoms, and higher functional mobility.

However, women who provided more than 50 hours of care per week reported higher depressive symptoms, lower quality of life, more chronic pain and lower functional mobility.

"Men who were carers did not for the most part show differences in health, except for lower depressive symptoms in men who provided any caring, and increased hypertension in men providing more than 50 hours of caring," the researchers noted.

According to Prof Rose Anne Kenny, principal investigator of TILDA and lead researcher, these findings shows that older adults "contribute substantially to informal care of family and friends".

"Family carers allow for a significant decrease in expenditure on State-provided home care, and institutional care for older people, while greatly encouraging and benefiting those who are cared for at home by loved ones.

"We also know that family caring is wholly associated with positive health outcomes, but this greatly depends on the intensity of care that is provided. Greater support is needed to enable family carers to continue in this role for as long as possible," she commented.

Prof Kenny said that these findings provide important information for policy and health planners "as they prepare and plan a progressive care system to support Ireland's older population".

The researchers insisted that in order for family caring to continue, State-provided home support must be made available to facilitate and support carers who may have other responsibilities, such as work.

"As the number of older people living well into their later years increases, the demand for appropriate investment to support and strengthen a multi-faceted care system is growing.

"State-provided home support can facilitate and support carers with their caregiving. What is needed is appropriate planning to ensure those who receive care will benefit, and equip family caregivers with suitable support," commented lead researcher, Dr Christine Mc Garrigle, of TCD.

The report on the findings can be viewed here.