Kath cares for her husband Maurice who is 70 and had a catastrophic stroke nine years ago (just after his 60th birthday). Kath provides round the clock care and for a bit helped with the family farm after giving up her job at the local Primary Care Trust. Caring ‘came out of the blue – Maurice was fit, didn’t smoke or really drink.’

Annie has been caring for her partner of 34 years, John, for the past three years. He had cognitive impairment but after he lost his job three years ago he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. He is only 57. He has steadily got worse. He can still wash and dress himself but Annie has to do almost everything else. He can walk round the corner but any further and he would get lost. He has memory loss and can’t read or write anymore.

Cathy cares for her daughter, now aged 8, who was born with Down’s Syndrome. It was a complete shock when her daughter, Amy, was born and they got very little help from anyone. Cathy and her husband bought a laptop and searched on the Internet for information.