I couldn’t afford to eat because a big chunk of my carer’s allowance was spent on bus tickets to visit ill mum in hospital
to see the disease rob her mother of her independence.
She added: “Mum was a social worker and was so full of life. She was always smiling and loved being surrounded by family and friends.
“She was the best mum anyone could ask for and always put others before herself.
“It was a complete shock when she was diagnosed and we knew our lives would never be the same again.
“I was just starting college when mum suffered a stroke.
“Tests revealed it was caused by dementia and the hardest part was watching her slowly deteriorate before our eyes.
“As the illness progressed, she reverted to a child-like state and I had to do all the shopping, cooking and cleaning.
“Mum also lost her mobility and struggled with her speech.”
Amanda added: “I never saw myself as a carer, I was just doing what I knew my mum would do for me if the roles were reversed.
“My family helped out, too, and thankfully I never felt alone.
“Some days were better than others but the hardest part was not being able to engage with her the way I wanted to.”
When Amanda joined her local carers’ centre, she discovered she wasn’t alone when it came to struggling with travel expenses.
She said: “Research shows that 68 per cent of carers say the role has an adverse effect on their mental health. This could be lessened by such a small change like concessionary travel.
“Some carers have to travel many miles just to visit specialised hospitals or care homes.
“This is why I feel so strongly about getting support when it comes to transport. I hope people will get behind this campaign and help to change so many people’s lives for the better.
“Is free concessionary transport for carers really too much to ask for when carers dedicate their lives to helping others?”
Jim Pearson, Alzheimer Scotland’s director of policy and research, said: “Taking on a caring commitment can have a substantial financial impact on carers, many of whom may have ongoing financial commitments or dependent families.
“Many have low incomes and may have been forced to cut their hours of work or give up paid employment altogether in order to carry out their caring role.
“The additional costs of travel as part of this caring role can be significant, particularly if that travel is long distance or takes place at peak times.
“Any assistance that can be provided to unpaid carers to support them in their role must be considered.”
Jan Savage, Enable Scotland’s executive director of campaigns and external affairs, added: “Our members tell us that access to public transport is a critical part of day-to-day life.
“We believe that reducing any financial barrier for family carers to do this would be the right thing to do.”