Penny Booth: Good and Bad News

It is certainly good to learn that the interest in carers and the cared-for at home are now the subject of some interest by HM Government. A quick scan of the population statistics tells anyone that we have an ageing population and it may mean problems for the caring services that simply cannot be met by our current provisions NHS and taxes. Nor can families take the strain - at least not without assistance. That assistance must come from our social services provision and from changes in our current employment attitude. Perhaps it is time to make a decision about how much we are prepared to pay for the kind of society we want in the future. How important is family life and the care we provide for people?

It is true that carers can have their responsibilities taken into account if the person they are caring for is disabled and the new equality legislation looks after that but beyond that level the legalities are a little hazy. If we are going to live in a society which takes care of the...

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