When caring feels heavy 

Caring for an ageing person doesn’t look like a crisis from the outside. But on the inside, it can be consuming, complex and exhausting. 

There’s the practical load. The appointments, the medications, the phone calls, the paperwork, the logistics of a life that increasingly needs managing. That part is visible, at least to you. 

And then there’s everything else. 

The anticipatory grief of watching someone you love change. The role reversal. The isolation of carrying something that’s almost impossible to explain to anyone who hasn’t been through it. 

If you’re caring for an elderly person right now, here’s what we want you to know: 

• Accepting help doesn’t mean you’re not coping 

• Wanting a break doesn’t mean you love them any less 

• People want to help you. You just need to tell them how 

You don’t have to ask your crew to take over the caring for you. But you can ask them to support you while you do it.  

What would make your life easier right now?  

• A few dinners dropped at your door 
• A school run or two  
• Dropping off groceries 
• Picking up prescriptions 
• Or maybe sitting with your person so you can have a break 

Caring for the people we love as they age is a community responsibility. You don’t have to do this alone. Gather your crew.