ABSTRACT
In this chapter we aim to offer an account of how the manner in which care has been provided to certain groups and to individuals has changed over the years. Patterns of care provision have shifted significantly over the last 100 years and although we tend to take for granted the current arrangements and the philosophy underpinning them, they are relatively recent developments, particularly those relating to unpaid care and the care provided by young carers, and in order to fully understand the aims and ideals of current policy, we need to have some knowledge and understanding of the historical perspective (see Chapter 2).
