who cares?
First transmitted March/April 2004
There are almost 6 million people who care, unpaid, for others in Britain. The task of looking after loved ones can be intensely rewarding but also often frustrating and isolating. Who Cares? taps into the highs and lows of looking after a dependent relative by filming from the perspective of four different carers and observing how they manage to cope with the daily challenges they face.
Ruth
© C4
Ruth has been caring for her son, Bodhi, for 28 years. He suffered from meningitis as a baby causing him severe brain damage, a certain amount of physical disability and epilepsy. Ruth devotes a large chunk of her time caring for Bodhi's needs – even sharing his bedroom every night in case of emergency. She feels that it would be impossible for Bodhi to get the same level of care anywhere else and hopes to carry on caring for another 20 years – as long as she can look after her own health.
Sarah
© C4
Although Sarah finds it tough to juggle her work as an actor and caring for her mum with Alzheimer's, she wouldn't trust anyone else to take on the caring role. At home she feels that it is important to try and maintain as much of her mum's own personality as possible – which involves a lot of dancing and singing.
Carol
© C4
Carol looks after her son, James, who is 5 and suffers from Charge Syndrome. As well as being profoundly deaf and visually impaired, James also suffers from facial palsy which means he has no facial expression. The level of care that Carol provides goes far beyond normal parenting and she admits finding the responsibility frightening at times.
David
© C4
David's wife, Angela, had a stroke 5 months ago and he has been caring for her ever since. As a result of the stroke, Angela has limited mobility, speech difficulties and depends entirely on David. He even puts on her make-up although he's the first to admit it's not a great job. The changes to their lifestyles were dramatic and he finds that caring for her has actually brought them closer together.
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For further information about the issues raised in the programmes, and details of support organisations, check out the 4Health articles below:
- Support and information for Britain's 'invisible army'
- How to cope with caring and help avoid stress
- Help for parents of seriously ill children
- You Ask: 'How can we get outside help with caring for my mother-in-law?'
- Caring for someone with a terminal illness
- Information about dementia: causes, treatment, support services and caring tips
- Understanding learning difficulties
