You Matter Too: Recognising and Supporting Carers

The Importance of Carers

Many learners balance their education alongside caring responsibilities at home. Whether you support a child, parent, partner, sibling, grandparent, or friend, caring for others can be both rewarding and challenging.

You may not see yourself as a carer, simply as someone helping a loved one. However, providing practical, emotional, or physical support to another person can have a significant impact on your own wellbeing, time, and ability to manage other responsibilities.

This month, we are recognising the valuable contribution carers make and highlighting the importance of seeking support when needed.

What Does Caring for Someone Involve?

Caring responsibilities can take many forms, including:

  • Providing emotional support
  • Helping with household tasks
  • Shopping and preparing meals
  • Attending appointments
  • Managing medication reminders
  • Looking after children or younger family members
  • Supporting someone with a disability, illness, mental health condition, or age-related needs
  • Assisting elderly relatives with everyday activities

Many people take on caring responsibilities without realising that support may be available to them.

Balancing Multiple Caring Responsibilities

Some learners support not just one person, but several family members.

You may be:

  • Raising children while studying
  • Caring for elderly parents
  • Supporting a partner with health needs
  • Managing a household while caring for family members with additional needs

Many people find themselves part of what is often called the “sandwich generation” – caring for both children and older relatives at the same time.

Balancing study, family life, work, and caring responsibilities can be difficult and may sometimes feel overwhelming.

Caring for Elderly Relatives

Many learners find themselves supporting ageing parents, grandparents, or other elderly relatives.

This may involve:

  • Helping with shopping and appointments
  • Supporting them with technology and communication
  • Providing companionship and reducing loneliness
  • Assisting with day-to-day tasks
  • Checking on their health, safety, and wellbeing

These responsibilities can be especially demanding when combined with work, study, parenting, and other family commitments.

Support for Adult Children Caring for Ageing Parents in the UK

Carents is the UK’s national organisation dedicated to supporting adult children who care for their ageing parents. This hidden group represents 57% of all carers in the UK, yet the current system largely fails to recognise them.

What is a Carent?

A carent is an adult child caring for one or both ageing parents, in-laws or elderly relatives. There are over 4 million carents in the UK who together provide £100bn of unpaid care every year – an average of £25,000 per household.

Why Carents Matter

The UK’s ageing population is growing rapidly; 25–50% of over-85s live with frailty and 30% of over-90s live with dementia.

Even among those eligible, underfunding means 100,000 families miss out on care.

And the number of carents is likely to grow as the population ages. Yet carents often don’t see themselves as carers and fall through existing support systems. They are frequently left to navigate complex health and council services alone. The result is that adult children step in to fill the gap, often at great personal cost:

  • 71% change career paths.
  • 37% alter retirement plans.
  • 55% report serious wellbeing issues.

Caring responsibilities can arise at any stage of life and often involve supporting more than one person at a time

The Challenges of Being a Carer

Caring for others can sometimes affect:

  • Physical health and energy levels
  • Mental wellbeing
  • Social relationships
  • Attendance and engagement in education
  • Financial stability
  • Opportunities for rest and relaxation

Many carers experience stress, anxiety, exhaustion, or feelings of guilt when trying to meet the needs of everyone around you.

Remember that these feelings are normal and that support is available.

Looking After Yourself Matters Too

When caring for others, it is easy to place your own needs at the bottom of the list. However, maintaining your own wellbeing is essential.

Try to:

  • ✅ Take regular breaks where possible
  • ✅ Make time for activities you enjoy
  • ✅ Stay connected with friends and family
  • ✅ Ask for help when you need it
  • ✅ Speak to your tutor or support services if caring responsibilities are affecting your studies
  • ✅ Access wellbeing and mental health support when required

Looking after yourself is not selfish. It helps you continue supporting others safely and effectively.

When to Seek Support

Please speak to a member of staff if:

    • You feel overwhelmed or unable to cope
    • You are struggling with your mental health
    • You are worried about the wellbeing or safety of someone you care for
    • You need advice about available support services

    You do not have to manage everything on your own.

    Support Available

    If you have caring responsibilities, support may be available through:

    Useful organisations include:

    Remember

    Caring for others is an act of kindness, commitment, and strength. Whether you support a child, partner, friend, parent, grandparent, or another family member, your contribution is valuable.

    Looking after your own wellbeing is just as important as caring for others. Seeking support when you need it is a sign of strength, and no one should feel they have to manage caring responsibilities alone.