Being a carer
This section explains the demands of the role, addresses some worries you may have and looks at what carers say and feel. We don't try to give you all the answers. If you need further information or advice, contact us.
The decision to provide care at home for someone who is seriously ill is not one to be taken lightly.
Although caring for someone can be very rewarding, it can also affect your home and family life, your work and your free time.
To be able to fulfil your role you need to maintain your own physical and emotional health. To do this, you need to ask for help and take time off when you can. Asking for and accepting help can aid your relationship with the person you are caring for.
Such help can come from your own friends and relatives or from professionals, such as district nurses, social services, counsellors and Marie Curie Cancer Care.
Carer concerns
Being a carer can be an isolating experience, exacerbated by the lack of opportunities to meet and talk with other people, particularly with other carers.
Having someone to talk to, just to explain how you are feeling and to know you are not alone, can make a world of difference.
Marie Curie Nurses and specialist counsellors who work in our hospices are trained to listen and offer advice but there may be times when you feel you have no one to turn to.
Don’t worry. You’re not alone. There are thousands of other people, just like you, facing the same emotions and times of loneliness.
Visit the What carers say page to get an idea of what other people in your situation feel and say.
