Caregiving can be one of the most fulfilling and simultaneously challenging roles many of us will ever undertake. The demands of balancing caregiving, immediate familial requirements and professional duties leave many people feeling incredibly stretched both emotionally and financially.

With over 1.3 million people across the country providing over 50 hours of care per week, the enormous time commitment presents conflicts in its own right, from managing work schedules, taking unpaid leave and sacrificing potential wages. It may come as no surprise then, that these factors can contribute to carer depression, especially where there was little choice when it came to taking on the caregiver role.

This is because the role and challenges of being a caregiver is often underrepresented in mainstream media, and those providing care can therefore often feel very isolated. We’ve created this guide as a resource to help you feel more connected and informed when providing care or choosing a care solution for your elderly parents or loved ones.

For those just starting to recognise a need for more support for their loved ones or taking the first responsibilities of caregiving, it can be a confusing time. You’ll no doubt have a lot of questions, from getting your head around what daily activities are actually required for your situation, to assessing time commitment, cost implications and where to go for assistance.

Many people who are providing care for loved ones do not consider themselves to be carers at all, and often consider their care responsibility as a familial duty. However, the simplest definition of a carer as described by the Care Act is “someone who helps another person, usually a relative or friend, in their day-to-day life.” While caregiving may take place in the older person’s home, it can also occur in many other venues such as at the hospital, on visits to a residential nursing care facility, or other location that may even be far away from the care recipient.

It’s important to identify when you are in a caregiving role so that you can seek appropriate support from the government by arranging a carer’s assessment, your employer, and family and friends. Start to consider care options that help you maintain physical and emotional wellbeing for both you and your loved one.

Identification can be doubly important for those who are termed ‘sandwich carers’, meaning they are providing care for both older relatives and children at the same time.

Caregivers undertake a wide variety of tasks, from shopping, preparing meals, dispensing medication, organising doctor’s appointments, to facilitating leisure and social activities. Managing the requirements of daily life, particularly in cases of illness or disability, can be intimidating and uncomfortable at first.

Through their ongoing dedication and selfless contributions, caregivers enable their elderly loved ones to live as dignified and independent a life as possible.

While growing older is an inevitable part of everyone’s life, very often those who find themselves in a caregiving position did not actively take up the role, but simply find themselves in it. Because of this, the question of where to begin to tackle what can be both a physically and mentally challenging new position is key to answer.