This is the text of a letter that appeared in the Guardian:
Is it true that if re-elected the Tories are considering cuts for carers? I ruined my physical and mental health by being a carer for elderly/infirm parents who were not coping in their council flat and dreaded the thought of a nursing home. I also ruined my financial health. They came to live in my terraced home. I was already a carer for my disabled son, so that made three. Eventually I had to give up my job and career because caring became a 24/7 job. They were with me for 17 years until their death in their 90s but I was never eligible for carer’s allowance. What a mug! Years ago when I was working I heard a businessman saying that he could not accept his elderly mum into his home as “my son, Nigel, needs the 2 spare rooms for his studies”. At the time I thought “how selfish” but years later I was not so sure.If carers get cuts in allowances, do not be a mug like me. Refuse to be a carer. You are important too, so don’t lose your identity. What am I saying? At the age of 88 (89 if I live until November) I’m still the sole carer for my son and, of course, will carry on as long as I can.
Barbara MacArthur
No comments:
Post a Comment