THE LIFE OF A
CARER AT
UNI
ABOUT ME I’m Sophie and I’ve been a carer since the age of 11. I looked after my Grandma and Grandad but care for other family members too. I’m also a university student.
WHAT IS A CARER? A carer is someone who cares for a family member or friend with a disability or long term illness, a learning difficulty, a mental health problem or an addiction. You don’t have to be paid to be a carer.
STATS In a survey of 101 young carers:
45% 16%
reported having mental health problems.
were concerned that they might have to drop out of college or university.
45%
said there was no one who recognised them as a carer and helped them.
39%
rated their physical health as either ‘Just OK’ or ‘Poor’.
*research by Carers Trust
WHAT DOES A CARER DO? PRACTICAL TASKS:
cooking ironing washing up cleaning managing bills...
PERSONAL CARE:
EMOTIONAL SUPPORT:
bathing dressing toileting administering medicine...
listening offering advice being a friend
SIGNS THAT A CARER MIGHT NEED HELP unable to concentrate quiet distracted in pain from physical tasks
j j j j
j j
looking tired or emotional turning up late
j
struggling with deadlines
j
lack of social involvement
WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT Caring can affect your mental health, physical health, and social life. This is difficult when it’s combined with being at university. Without support we may burn out and feel the need to drop out.
HOW UNIVERSITIES CAN HELP -
Take time to talk to us. Acknowledge that we are carers. Ask the question: Are you okay? Provide support for assignments (for example, by allowing extensions). - Have formal support in place. - Have a specialist we can speak to who understands what being a carer is like.
# carerlife
This leaflet for carers at university was created with the help of Fixers, the campaign that gives young people a voice. Fixers is part funded by the National Lottery through the Big Lottery Fund. Company 2194957. Charity 298643. © 2015
fixers.org.uk/carerlife
FixersUK
fixers.org.uk
Company 2194957 Charity 298643 © 2014