Still helping others after caring ends: Anne’s story

Even though Anne's caring role has ended she's there to help others.

An older woman with grey hair sits on a wooden park bench, smiling at the camera. She wears a navy jacket over a red jumper, with a bright green zipper and a crossbody bag, in a sunny park with blurred trees in the background.

Anne cared for her mother Alice for about ten years, right into her 90s. Alice died in 2024.

For the last three years of Alice's life, she was bedbound. Anne did most things herself, learning as she went along how to care for her mum at home.

"I was confined with her, really," Anne says. "I had to learn to look after her."

It was in those final few years that Anne discovered local carers support groups in Wokingham Borough. The groups, run by Age UK and Promise Inclusion, meet regularly at community centres in Woodley and Earley.

Finding support when you need it

"The people who come to the group are always so wonderful," Anne says. "Shelley helped me to access extra support. It was just a lot of little things and being able to listen."

That listening matters. Everyone in the group is in a different situation, but they can share simple, practical things that make life easier.

"Everyone is able to listen and learn from each other," Anne explains. "We share our experience about being a carer and getting the help we need."

The groups also help people navigate complicated legal processes - especially important when help doesn't come with a financial cost and care itself can be expensive.

"Any help is appreciated," Anne says.

Giving back

Even though Anne's caring role has ended, she still comes to the groups. Now she's there to help others.

"I listen, hear their stories and then I think I was lucky with my mum," she says. "It is hard and it is tough, but once you hear about someone else and get to know them, you want to help, to tell them something useful."

Anne's story shows that being part of a carers community isn't just about getting support when you need it - it's about the connections you make and the ways you can support others, even after your own caring journey has changed.

The groups become a place where people understand what you've been through, where your experience has value, and where you can give something back.

For Anne, that's worth turning up for.