In our latest episode of Care Fully Considered, we welcome Ruth Patil, the development director of Carers Worldwide, an organisation working with unpaid family carers in the global South.

We discuss Carers Worldwide's important work and how she combines influencing the lives of carers overseas with advocacy work on behalf of parent carers in the UK, while caring for her daughter who has Down Syndrome.

We talk about how important it is to find the commonality in care no matter where in the world takes place, and their huge policy victory in getting a Carers Allowance program set up in the Indian state of Karnataka.*

You can find out more about Carers Worldwide here: LINK (www.carersworldwide.org ) and subscribe to their newsletter here: (LINK https://carersworldwide.org/commit-to-carers?utm_source=emailsig&utm_medium=emailsig&utm_campaign=CommitToCarers )

For any inquiries or to suggest future guests, please email us at: wearecarers@gmail.com. Until next time!

For more information on the We Care Campaign, visit us on: https://wecarecampaign.org.uk/ and to find out what being an unpaid carer is really like, read Laura’s blog here: https://numbereighteeninthecorner.blog/

*Carers Worldwide are thrilled to share that since recording this episode, the Government of Karnataka, India, has extended the Carers Allowance to include unpaid carers of those with autism, intellectual disabilities, and complex disabilities such as deaf-blindness, bringing the disability categories included in the allowance to seven. This is another huge milestone for unpaid carers in India, and Carers Worldwide is committed to continuing their advocacy work so that Carers Allowance reaches more carers in more states across India.

In our latest episode of Care Fully Considered, we welcome Rory Cellan Jones OBE, former BBC News technology correspondent, podcaster, and author.

We discuss his Parkinson’s disease diagnosis, why he chose to be open about it, and how he views his future needs for care.

We talk about how care and progressive illnesses are portrayed in the media, how AI could help improve the lives of people with Parkinson's disease, and how the arrival of a rescue dog from Romania changed his life.

For any inquiries or to suggest future guests, please email us at: wearecarers@gmail.com. Until next time!

For more information on the We Care Campaign, visit us on: https://wecarecampaign.org.uk/ and to find out what being an unpaid carer is really like, read Laura’s blog here: https://numbereighteeninthecorner.blog/

You can find out more about Rory Cellan Jones here

You can buy his books here

You can also listen to his (excellent) podcast Movers and Shakers here

In our latest episode of Care Fully Considered we welcome Cas Holmes, one of the UK’s most renowned textile artists and the author of several books.

We discuss her care, clean, create practice, her illustrious career as an artist, and how her art has helped her cope with being a carer to her partner after he suffered a stroke.

We talk about the power of being creative and how it helps make sense of the world around us. We also explore her use of the Japanese technique called Kintsugi, a traditional repair technique using gold, to show the value of the hardships we go through.

For any inquiries or to suggest future guests, please email us at: wearecarers@gmail.com. Until next time!

For more information on the We Care Campaign, visit us on: https://wecarecampaign.org.uk/ and to find out what being an unpaid carer is really like, read Laura’s blog here: https://numbereighteeninthecorner.blog/

You can find out more about Cas Holmes, and buy her books here: https://casholmes.uk/

In our latest episode of Care Fully Considered we speak to Mary-Ann Ochota, a broadcaster and author specialising in anthropology, archaeology, and social history.

We discuss the role of care in human societies, past and present. Mary-Ann takes us on a journey, filled with fascinating examples, describing how caring for one another is a deeply human experience. We also talk about the importance of caring for our planet and the crucial importance of preserving our countryside.

To learn more about Mary-Ann, check out her website here: https://www.maryannochota.com. You can also find her on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/maryannochota/?hl=en-gb

For any inquiries or to suggest future guests, please email us at: wearecarers@gmail.com.

For more information on the We Care Campaign, visit us on: https://wecarecampaign.org.uk/ and to find out what being an unpaid carer is really like, read Laura’s blog here: https://numbereighteeninthecorner.blog/

In our latest episode of Care Fully Considered we speak to Georgie Steele, a parent carer, storyteller, and theatre performer.

We discuss the importance of storytelling and why her theatre show is inspired by a famous children's tale to highlight the ridiculousness of the social care system. We also talk about the importance of caring with a (usually dark) sense of humour, the difference between helpful help and unhelpful help, and the crucial need for the people we care for to have their own voices heard.

To learn more about Georgie and her upcoming performances, check out her Instagram profile here: https://www.instagram.com/georgiestoryteller/ and her Facebook page here:https://www.facebook.com/georgiesteelestory

For any inquiries or to suggest future guests, please email us at: wearecarers@gmail.com.

For more information on the We Care Campaign, visit us on: https://wecarecampaign.org.uk/ and to find out what being an unpaid carer is really like, read Laura’s blog here: https://numbereighteeninthecorner.blog/

In our latest episode of Care Fully Considered we welcome Ruth Hannan, co-founder of Care Full, an organisation that brings together research, advocacy, and participation, to demonstrate what a new, care-centre future could look like.

We discuss why our current social security system is outdated, and not designed for the realities of today's world. Why bold concepts are needed to create change, and the power of focusing on what good looks like when starting a care revolution!

In this episode, Ruth offers us a glimpse into what a new economy and society could look like - one that would enable all of us to live well, no matter our background or circumstance.

To learn more about Care Full , visit their website here: https://carefulleconomy.co.uk/ and check out their X profile here: https://x.com/caref_ll

You can get in touch with them by emailing them at: hello@carefull.uk

For any inquiries or to suggest future guests, please email us at: wearecarers@gmail.com. Until next time!

For more information on the We Care Campaign, visit us on: https://wecarecampaign.org.uk/ and to find out what being an unpaid carer is really like, read Laura’s blog here: https://numbereighteeninthecorner.blog/

In this bonus episode, we speak to Lisa Reakes about her experience as a parent carer and her involvement in Dr. Siobhan O'Dwyer's research on parent carers' mental health struggles.

We discuss her role in the study, what she learned from it and what changes she hopes it will bring. We also cover what life as a parent carer is like, her endless fight to get her daughter the help she needs, and the toll it has taken on her own health.

For any inquiries or to suggest future guests, please email us at: wearecarers@gmail.com. Until next time!

For more information on the We Care Campaign, visit us on: https://wecarecampaign.org.uk/ and to find out what being an unpaid carer is really like, read Laura’s blog here: https://numbereighteeninthecorner.blog/

You can buy Lisa's book on being a parent carer here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/reflections-of-grief-a-parent-carer-story/lisa-reakes/9781739940843

You can read Siobhan's research here and follow her on X here

*Trigger warning* This episode discusses research into suicidal thoughts experienced by parent carers. The content may be distressing or triggering for some listeners. Please take care while listening, and reach out to a support network if needed.

In our latest episode of Care Fully Considered, we welcome Dr. Siobhan O’Dwyer to the podcast. She is associate professor in adult social care at the university of Birmingham.

We discuss her research looking into suicidal thoughts and behaviours in parent carers and the shocking results she uncovered. This first-of-its-kind UK study reveals just how much parent carers are struggling in this lifelong role, and why they are a marginalised group in both the parent and carer communities.

We talk about the struggle of coping when the love you have for your child simply is not enough, the ongoing battle every parent carer faces to get the help and support they need, and what needs to change policy-wise to provide desperately needed support.

In lighter moments, we also talk about the therapeutic powers of guinea pigs and Australian reality TV shows.

For any inquiries or to suggest future guests, please email us at: wearecarers@gmail.com. Until next time!

For more information on the We Care Campaign, visit us on: https://wecarecampaign.org.uk/ and to find out what being an unpaid carer is really like, read Laura’s blog here: https://numbereighteeninthecorner.blog/

You can follow Siobhan on X here

You can read Siobhan's research here

You can find out more about the Parent Carer Wellbeing Study here

You can visit the Samaritans website here. You can call 116 123 if you need immediate assistance.

You can watch Married at First Sight - Australia here

You can watch the Guinea Pig Olympics here