Just 12% of those caring for elderly are paid

Less than one in eight people looking after older people in the community are paid for the work they do, it has emerged.

Spouses are most frequently identified as the main care givers, but just under 12% receive the carer’s allowance or carer’s benefit.

The findings are contained in a report from The Longitudinal Study on Ageing that is charting the health, social, and economic circumstances of 8,178 people aged 50 or older in Ireland over a 10-year period.