Life after caring

Life after caring

Looking after someone can be a big part of your life. Your caring role will change over time and can end for a variety of reasons.

Sometimes people no longer need to receive as much care, or any care. They might:

• recover from a condition
• become able to manage a long-term condition, addiction or mental health issue themselves
• need a reduced or different level of care for their condition

Caring may end if it’s no longer possible to care for the person at home, or through bereavement.

You may decide you can no longer provide care. All carers have a choice about whether to provide care, and no-one should feel guilty about choosing to stop giving care.

However your caring role ends, it can mean a period of uncertainty and mixed feelings. Support is available if you need it.

Support when caring ends

Many carers’ centres have peer support groups for former carers and can offer one-to-one support about your specific circumstances.

Find out more about carers’ centres

There’s also support available if you’ve been bereaved.

Read more on preparing for death and bereavement on the NHS inform website.

You may want to think about new challenges like volunteering or learning something new.

Read more on life after caring from the Carers Scotland website.

You might need information on employment or education.

Read more on help for carers who work or study

There might be financial implications if you no longer look after someone.

Find out about carer’s allowance and other money issues.

Further information

Carers Scotland has advice and information on when caring ends, as does GOV.UK.

My World of Work has jobs, careers, further education, training and volunteering advice.