JUNE 6-12 is Carers Week, an annual awareness campaign to celebrate and recognise the vital contribution made by the 6.5 million people in the UK who care, unpaid, for a disabled, older or ill family member or friend.
A carer is someone who provides unpaid care and support to a family member or friend who has a disability, illness, mental health problem or who needs extra help as they grow older. For some, taking on a caring role can be sudden: someone in your family has an accident or your child is born with a disability. For others, caring creeps up unnoticed: your parents can’t manage on their own any longer or your partner’s health gradually worsens.