The responsibility of caring for older relatives is falling overwhelmingly on women, with many providing more than 50 hours’ support a week, according to the latest research from Healthwatch Norfolk.
The second of three reports exploring services for people aged 65 and over and their carers has now been published, revealing that female relatives are taking on a huge burden of care when it comes to looking after older people in their family.
Norfolk County Council’s Adult Social Care team asked Healthwatch Norfolk to provide insight into how people can be supported to stay independent for as long as possible as they grow older.
Over the course of 2026, Healthwatch Norfolk will be publishing three separate reports: the first, published in March, focused on ways in which people over the age of 55 are preparing for growing older and how they view experiences of later life, while the third and final report will explore post-hospital discharge care.
What did we find?
Most people who took part in our research about family involvement in care were women over the age of 55. Many were caring for a partner or spouse, others for parents, and most were providing very high levels of support – often more than 50 hours a week.
We heard that caring responsibilities range from shopping, paperwork and giving medication, through to emotional and social support and personal care.
When it came to receiving help from other family members, a large number said they received no help at all. When help was given, it was usually other female relatives who stepped up, rather than male members of the family. Even when family members were able to help out, carers often felt the support was not enough. These findings point to long-standing assumptions and expectations about the role of women in family care.
Our recommendations
Based on our findings we have made a series of recommendations to Norfolk County Council’s Adult Social Care department. These include making respite services more widely available so carers can take essential breaks and offering guidance on how family members can contribute to care from a distance, allowing the burden to be shared more effectively.
We have also suggested clearer, more centralised information about available support, and that the process for relatives who are not the main carer to communicate with health and social care services be made easier.
Furthermore, we advised that an expansion of peer support groups, befriending schemes and counselling for carers would beneficial.
‘Addressing assumptions’
In response to our latest report, Norfolk County Council has outlined its approach to enhancing support for carers of older people, highlighting its commitment to the All Age Carers’ Strategy, which focuses on key goals that have been co-produced with carers in coordination with Carers’ Voice. The council has also pledged ongoing collaboration with Healthwatch Norfolk to monitor and assess the impact of these initiatives.
Judith Sharpe, Deputy Chief Executive of Healthwatch Norfolk, said:
“These latest findings reveal the overwhelming burden of care that is falling on the shoulders of women across Norfolk and the disproportionate level of responsibility many of them are living with in a bid to ensure their loved ones are looked after.
“Solving these issues will require a community-wide recognition of, and commitment to, addressing the assumptions surrounding women and family care.
“We welcome Norfolk County Council’s acknowledgement of our research and its commitment to the All Age Carers’ Strategy, which aligns with the findings of this report.
“We look forward to working alongside Norfolk County Council going forward to ensure that the burden of care is fair and that unpaid carers are better supported going forward.”
Read the full report here.