A frequent observation is that ‘people don’t understand what it’s like to be a carer until they become one’.
Now read this article from the Mail on Sunday about Andrew Marr and the effect of his stroke upon himself and his wife, Jackie, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2401611/Who-runs-Britain-An-Army-unregarded-unpaid-carers-Now-time-cared-says-Andrew-Marr-wife-nursed-stroke.html. They reflect on their experiences and their new circumstances:
“People don’t care for their relatives and their friends because they are trying to keep the national books balanced but because of human decency and love. Carers want to care. Caring has always been an essential part of being human. The trouble is that this has pushed caring right to the back of the political agenda, into the shadows and mostly out of sight. And there are things that could be done to make life more tolerable for carers.”
Here’s hoping the Marrs continue to give this issue the profile it deserves.
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Postscript: Marr has now given an interview to the Daily Telegraph in which he addresses the problems of carers and employment. Andrew Marr calls for flexible working rights for carers: Employees caring for sick or elderly relatives should be given the same rights as new mothers or be allowed to reduce their working hours…