about caring

carersnet: supporting Scotland's carers

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about caring

what does a carer look like?

A carer may be someone who is looking after a relative or a friend who need support because of age, physical or learning disability or illness, including mental illness. Carers come in all shapes and sizes. Anyone can become a carer.

Carers are people who look after a partner, husband or wife, son or daughter, relative or friend with a disability or illness. The care they provide is unpaid. Some carers live with the person they care for, but many look after someone who lives independently, in supported accommodation, in hospital, or in a residential or nursing home.

Carers can be as young as 7 or 8 years, looking after a disabled parent or sibling(s).
Carers can be older people themselves, perhaps in their 80's looking after someone of similar age.
Carers come from diverse cultural and religious communities.
Carers live in diverse geographical areas, both urban and rural.
Carers can be male or female, bisexual, gay, heterosexual, lesbian or transgender.

Anyone looking after a person with an illness or disability, whatever their situation, is considered a carer with equal rights to help, support, information and services.

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What did you think about the information on this page? Tell us by email: coalition@carersnet.org