When considering the term carer, we tend to think of someone employed as a professional, however carers of this kind are generally labelled as care workers or care professionals (Walmsley 2010, p12), while the term carer refers to someone unpaid who looks after a friend, relative or neighbour who needs support because of their sickness, age or disability. Directgov, 2006 (cited in Walmsley, 2010, p12). Using the Unit 1 study materials, alongside the experiences of Ann Walker, I aim to describe the difficulties and rewards of being a carer for a family member.
No-one wants to consider a time when they cannot care for themselves but when such situations arise, family members often feel obliged or duty bound to provide the care needed. During 2006 it was estimated that There were 6 million people in the UK providing unpaid support…. Carers UK, 2006 (cited in Walmsley,…(short extract)