What is a carer?

A Carer is someone who helps another person in their day to day life and is usually a relative or friend. It is not the same as someone who provides care professionally or through a voluntary organisation.

Carers provide regular, unpaid help to someone close to them due to frailty, physical or mental illness, addiction or disability and carers may help with:

• personal care (washing, bathing, dressing, feeding)
• medication
• cooking
• shopping
• housework
• emotional support.

Many people do not recognise themselves as Carers, who can be any age.  They include; partners, parents, children, friends or neighbours doing what they can to maintain the quality of life for someone close to them. They may not realise that support is available to help them.

There are there are 91,445 unpaid carers living in Birmingham.  This represents 8% of the city’s population and includes adult, young adult and young carers.