ABSTRACT
The previous chapter on carers’ policy in Ireland started with a general comparison with England and the US, and went on to analyse how the Irish care system developed in contrast over time. This final part of the book provides a deeper analysis of how the discourses and policy have shaped structures on the ground, with specific reference to the regional allocation of services for carers in Ireland. In this chapter, as well as focusing on the institutional ideologies and frameworks that structure home-care support services, an important component of the analysis is to investigate the experiences of the carers themselves and how the care supports are offered. Evidence is provided through interviews carried out with carer associations as well as carers themselves.1 Firstly, the analysis focuses on the local infrastructure of care services and the relative roles the statutory health services and non-profit sector play in delivering services. Secondly, it focuses on the narratives of carers regarding their daily experiences of accessing the various forms of support available.
