Informal Supports
Informal supports are people who are part of one’s personal social network such as family members, friends, neighbours, work colleagues or members of a community organisation. The informal support provided by parents, siblings and other family members is vitally important to people with disabilities. Therefore, the ongoing capacity of family members and carers to provide these informal supports is critical to the well being of participants.
Sustaining Informal Supports
People with disabilities have a range of informal supports which are available and how they can be sustained. To sustain informal it is important to take into consideration when the informal support’s well being at risk and when they may compromise their capacity to continue in their caring role. Factors that may be included to sustain informal supports may include:
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Carer circumstances
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Support and work loads
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Illness of the parent and/or carer
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Ageing parents and/or carer
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sustainability to maintain informal support
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The emotional and physical demand of caring for the participant
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The costs of care
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The deterioration of care
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The availability of informal support
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Balancing caring and work situation
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Work implications including lack of work
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Challenges for parent's carers to reenter the workforce
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Economic sustainbility for carers
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Financial situation of the carer
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Having multiple caring responsibilities
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Varyiong roles of other familiy members in caring
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Changes in interpersonal relationships