Looking after a family member or friend

Are you a carer?

A carer is a person of any age who provides unpaid care and support to a family member or someone close to them due to an illness or disability.

Caring can take a variety of forms, such as:

• Personal care
• Practical help, for example shopping, housework, gardening, house maintenance and medical appointments
• Emotional support
• Help with managing behaviours
• Support to complete paperwork
• Managing finances
• Providing social opportunities, for example taking to a social club, going out for the day or attending an event.

You don’t have to be living with the person you support to be helping to care for them. You could be helping for a few hours a week or supporting them full-time.

How caring can affect your life

Looking after someone you care about without being paid can change your life in many ways. It’s a big responsibility, and it’s okay to feel overwhelmed sometimes.

• You might feel tired a lot, both in your body and your mind. Many carers say they feel more stressed or sad than people who aren’t carers.
• Money can be a worry. Caring might mean you can’t work as much, and sometimes there are extra costs to help the person you care for.
• It’s common to feel lonely. Caring can take up a lot of time, which means you might not see friends or do things just for yourself.
• Getting help isn’t always easy. Not many carers ask for support from their local council or other services.
• Caring can also make it hard to keep a job or follow your career dreams, especially if you need to be there for someone most of the time.

Even though caring can be tough, what you do is incredibly important. You make a real difference in someone’s life, and you deserve kindness, support, and time for yourself too.

Let’s talk about what you need

If you're caring for someone, you can ask for something called a carer's assessment. It's free, and it's just for you, not the person you care for.

This is a chance to talk about how caring affects your life and how you’re feeling. You can also talk about what kind of help you might need. That help could come from the council, your local community, or people around you.

You can find out more about the carers assessment and how to ask for one on our website.

If you’re 18 or younger and you help care for someone, there’s a special page just for young carers where you can get support and information.