This is caring
I Care: Emily
Emily has cared for her husband Neil
since she was 24. She talks about
the challenges she’s faced as her
husband’s health has deteriorated...
Being a younger carer
can be isolating. I’ve been
caring for my husband Neil,
since I was 24. Most other
carers I meet at our carers
centre are over 60, they’re
very friendly and helpful, but
I find it harder to relate to
them.
My husband, who has just
turned 51, started feeling
very ill around eleven
years ago. He became too
weak to walk to the local
shop, which was so close
you could see it from our
house. The GP wasn’t sure
what was wrong with him
and when he was sent for
further tests, he collapsed.
He was rushed to hospital
and admitted. After a week
in hospital the doctors
suspected renal failure,
which was confirmed by a
specialist shortly after.
Neil was in hospital for quite
a while and had to give up
his job as a driver for a fruit
and vegetable company.
He made applications for
PIP (Personal Independence
Payment) and ESA
(Employment and Support
Allowance). Without Neil’s
income, we fell behind with
26
our rent payments
and, unfortunately,
we were evicted
from our home. We
were placed in a
bed and breakfast
and eventually we
qualified for a one
bedroom flat. It was
a very stressful time.
The housing trust made a
referral on our behalf to
social services and we were
allocated a social worker
and occupational therapist.
We were awarded housing
and council tax benefit
and ESA and Neil was
awarded PIP two months
later. Up until this point I
had continued working as a
cashier at ASDA, however,
when we started claiming
ESA, it became clear that it
would be better financially
for me to leave my job
and start claiming Carers
Allowance.
“eventually we
qualified for a one
bedroom flat.
It was a very
stressful time”
I found the social worker
friendly and helpful,
however, we’d been on our
own with no help or advice
on how to manage the
situation for six months.
Although I had heard of
social services I had no idea
what they were, so it never
crossed my mind to contact
them. The social worker
suggested that we employ
my brother in law as Neil’s
driver. She also got us an
electronic bath chair that
Neil could use to get in and
out of the bath.
After a few months of living
at the property, Neil’s health
had declined and the one
bedroom flat was no longer
suitable. Neil couldn’t get
in and out of the bath even
with the chair. We had been
given an NHS wheelchair for
Neil, but the door frames
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