Am I a carer?
You might not describe yourself as a carer. But looking after someone with cancer can have an impact on your life. There is support and information available that can help.
“I’m not a carer…”
“…I’m just helping out my neighbour.”
“…It’s just what you do for family.”
Am I a carer after all?
“In my community, family tends to look after the vulnerable. Each individual carer has different needs.” Nahida
A carer is someone who provides unpaid support to a partner, family member, friend or neighbour who could not manage without this help.
You don’t have to live with the person you care for. And it doesn’t matter whether you are related to them, or whether you are the only person providing this kind of support. The important thing is that the person you care for could not cope without this kind of help.
Why does it matter?
How Macmillan can help if you are supporting someone with cancer
Practical support
We have information about looking after someone with cancer, including:
- advice on making changes to your home to make it more suitable for someone affected by cancer
- how to get help from your local social services department, including a carer’s assessment to see what support you might need as a carer
- practical tips for helping someone with personal care, medication and moving safely
- information about different cancer types including symptoms, tests and treatments.
Money and work advice
- your rights at work as a carer
- financial support including benefits you might be able to claim, such as Carer’s Allowance and Carer’s Credit
- general advice to help you and the person you support with the cost of living and cancer.
Find out more about our specialist support services, their opening times and the different ways you can contact them.
Emotional support
- understand and manage the different emotions and feelings you might be experiencing
- deal with any changes in your relationships
- talk to children and teenagers about cancer.
Talk with people in the same situation
Our online community is a free and safe environment where you can talk to people online who have similar experiences to yours. You can chat anonymously any time of day or night, seven days a week. You can also get advice and tips from health professionals, trained volunteers, and Macmillan staff who are also active in the community. Find out more about:
About our information
This information has been written Helen Jefferies from Macmillan's Cancer Information Development team and revised and edited by the Digital Content Team.
Learn more about how we produce our cancer information.
Image information: The main image is of Peter and his daughter. Peter sadly died in 2019 and we’d like to thank his daughter for allowing us to continue sharing his story, so others can benefit from Macmillan’s support.
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