Not me… but without realising it this became my job title whilst still at school after my mum was diagnosed with schizophrenia.

It was only in my forties when I gave up my career and was caring full time that the penny dropped…up until then I thought of myself as someone who had a mum that wasn’t well. I never considered myself to be a carer or thought to question the impact on me throughout my life and the impact it still has on more than two years after her passing.

By that time my mum’s health had deteriorated to include depression, dementia and loss of her mobility, and sight, her world grew grew dramatically smaller and so did mine. I went from having a career that I loved, being financially comfortable, and socialising and travelling regularly, to an isolated stay at home carer on call 24 hours a day living initially off my savings then benefits.

On the surface not may would choose this? And yet I did!