Having lived with my grandmother for twenty four years up until that point, I started caring for her in 2016 after her first minor stroke limited her ability to walk and threatened her entire independence. As the years have gone by, things have started to detoriorate. Her condition has deteriorated due to having a couple more strokes and a serious fall this year, which broke her hip. Our personal relationship as grandson and carer has become blurred and we argue a lot more than we used to. She's beginning to lose her hearing, which makes communication very difficult.

Having suffered a minor stroke myself in 2010, I sometimes have problems communicating clearly and therefore it is very frustrating having to repeat myself. Not only that, but my mental health (as in confidence and self-esteem) has gone downhill as I don't have a lot of friends, I rarely go out and associate with people and I've spent the majority of my carers income on expensive electronics/technology to fulfil the loneliness and time I have indoors, which means I have limited my financial ability to go out and spend time to myself.

I've only had one session, but I truly believe that Gateshead Carers is a beam of positive light on a dark and isolated life I currently lead.

With the current pandemic and economy, it is becoming a lot harder for me to not only go out and send time to myself, but find full-time work and have the ability to leave my role as my grandmother's full-time carer, find a flat and achieve personal independence. With all of these issues, as well as my own mental health needs and no help from my family, this is why I need all the help I can get to achieve these goals.