CARERS IN TOUCH

When Pat Strachan’s father became frail and started to develop dementia, she became his carer.

The problem was, her father lived more than 200 miles away, so she spent a lot of her time travelling.

“I rang him every day but long-distance caring is hard,” says Pat. “He was very independent and it was hard for him to accept help,” she adds.

Pat’s father died in January 2016 and she joined the Yours Forget Me Not group for support.

“You develop coping strategies as a carer, but it’s very easy to neglect your own needs. I did, and now I encourage other carers and former carers to think about themselves.”