Being a Young Carer

My name is Caitlin, I’m 19 years old and I care for my mum. Being a carer can be difficult and tiring at times because you are taking on this responsibility to help take care of a person when they are in need; you can do this in various different ways as being a carer is different for everybody.

Carers provide a range of support physically by: doing the cooking and cleaning, sorting medication and helping with personal care. These are only some of the jobs a carer may do depending on their situation. Carers also provide emotional support by comforting whomever they care for and giving them reassurance.

The downside of being a carer in my circumstance, is watching someone you love being a healthy and independent person to relying on my help on a daily basis. It can sometimes feel overwhelming to see my mum in pain and have to deal with everything I do in a day too. Even though it can be difficult, it can also be quite rewarding and satisfying using your time to help another person when they need it the most, whether that is a family member or friend etc. I am happy that I am here to provide all the support and understanding that my mum needs in order to look after her like she has done done for me my whole life.

I have taken some photographs to give you a bit of a visual insight into what it’s like being a carer and what our day to day lives consist of. I hope that these photos help show the difficulty of caring in the sense that some people may not get the chance to have a break from caring.