Health & social care in the community
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Health Soc Care Community · May 2020
Under the radar: General practitioners' experiences of directly employed care workers for older people.
The Care Act 2014 allows eligible people with care and support needs to access funding directly from local authorities in England. Such funds may be used to employ care workers. Others may employ care workers using their own or family resources. ⋯ GPs envisaged such workers as potentially valuable assets in community-based care for an ageing population. They called for skills training for this workforce and the development of protocols for delegation of health tasks and safeguarding of vulnerable older people. Older people employing care workers and those advising or supporting them should address communications with health providers in employment contracts and job descriptions.