It was Carers Week 2009 when I it really hit me that being a caregiver was not something which happened to other people but was something which was going to happen to me.

I have seen friends both of mime and my parents turn into caregivers. Indeed one of my first work colleagues after leaving university had a wife who had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and he was her primary carer. He fought hard to twelve tough years. For many of us it is quite literally a world turned upside down!

In fact I was helping create video of that year’s Carers Week demonstration outside Downing Street in London , the Official Residence of the UK’s Prime Minister. I received a phone call from my wife saying that a lady from the local Early Years Centre had just paid a visit. The lady was of the view that our son did have a issue. While she could not , of course, diagnose it would possibly be autism. As readers of this blog will know a few months later John was formally diagnosed with ASD.

So as you can imagine I strongly support other caregivers. Indeed compared to most my wife and I have it quite easy. But this is not the case for others.

To show your support for caregivers it would be great if you could do two things for me:-

a) Carers UK who are organising the event are organising a Carers Quest Pledge on their web site. It would be great if you could sign here.

b) If you are a caregiver using the comments section below please share how many hours each day or week you are involved in providing care for another person. Many thanks in advance.