What is your relationship with the person you care for?

[sunnygirl]

It would be interesting to see how many carers are also disabled or have life limiting illnesses themselves.

[Scally]

Yes, there is some evidence that carers are more likely to be ill or disabled themselves, but there are a number of possible reasons for this, and the figures vary a lot according to their situation.
The incidence of ill health and disability are related to poverty: and poverty is also strongly related to educational achievement: so for example well-educated carers with professional qualifications are more likely to figure out how to juggle caring and flexible working partly because they can earn more per hour and are better at finding careers that suit their own caring responsibilities. A GP or teacher who is a carer can easily become a locum or go p/t and earn say £500-£1000 in say 10-20 hours work a week: clearly they are in a far better position to buy in some respite than a carer who is a cleaner and earns £6 an hour.
There is also much evidence that the more income people have, the more exercise they get: whilst walking is free, many other forms of exercise require access to a gym, a bike, or specialised clothing, and all these things cost money.
And when we link this with depression, we also find that poor carers are far more likely to drink heavily and smoke in order to self-medicate.

[no1carer]

i am none of the above as i care for my gran is their other?

[Sparklingtechie]

oh bugger I think I did this wrong. I thought it was asking my relationship in that they are my sons, so I put combination of both as it only does son in the singular...but I have a feeling I should have put mother????

[Guest]

Only 2 carers look after their brother! If this statistic is minimal on this poll then i'm sure overall the statistic is minimal in general. Man and Wife they are for the long term, thus better or worse they will stick it through the very end! I am so humbled when couples stick it out to the end! Very aspirational. In our younger years, we tend to be career ambitious, seeking the perfect life of your role models, so I can understand the brother statistic being low, because they want to achieve their goals without being in hardship.

[rosemary]

Using those stats above to date, no use anywhere other than among us....

55 women provide care,
41 men

and 19 we are not sure which as the categories were for neighbour and combination.

[charles47]

Only 2 carers look after their brother! If this statistic is minimal on this poll then i'm sure overall the statistic is minimal in general. Man and Wife they are for the long term, thus better or worse they will stick it through the very end! I am so humbled when couples stick it out to the end! Very aspirational. In our younger years, we tend to be career ambitious, seeking the perfect life of your role models, so I can understand the brother statistic being low, because they want to achieve their goals without being in hardship.

Except there's no way to tell why this is minimal here. I have a situation where I care for more than one person, but can only usually count one at any time on any surveys. Skews the results a bit.

[Matt Hill]

This is from our Facts about carers briefing
http://www.carersuk.org/professionals/r ... arers-2009

For whom do they care?
The Census question did not ask who the carer cared for, however the 2000 General Household Survey revealed that
- more than half of carers (52%) were caring for their parents or parents in law,
- while 18% were caring for their spouse.
- Nearly one in ten (8%) care for a child (including adult children),
- while a further fifth (21%) care for another relative
- and a fifth (21%) for a friend or neighbour.
(we need a statistician to tell us why these don;t add up to 100% )

Most carers look after elderly people. The 2000 GHS indicated that 70% of those cared for are 65
years or over. Sixty two percent of carers look after someone with a physical disability, 6% with a
mental disability and 18% with both a physical and mental disability.

[amandah]

Hi I care for Hugh, My Hubby. Its a pleasure to do so. But I am going into Hospital myself in August to have all my back teeth out and this will be done by a GA !! When I come home I will luckily have a cleaner to help me but apart from that I am not even allowed to have time for Amanda !! Hugh will and doesnt want to go into restpite as he is 63. So yet again we have to self fund this our selves all very unfair.All we are wanting is a mini break with our two doggies in weymouth.But it seems as though I will not be able to go . regards amandah

[AspieMum]

Also how many carers are disabled themselves. I can think of me and Parsifal for two

Eun

As well as being a carer to my 3 special needs children I also have Aspergers Syndrome, a hearing impairment, and some medical problems (some of which restrict what I can do so are like a disability).