'Becoming a carer for my father has been financially disastrous'

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Terry Kirton, 50, on how he quit his job as a nurse but still manages to volunteer for St John Ambulance

Name: Terry Kirton
Age: 50
Income: £5,450 a year: carer’s allowance £264.60 a month, income support - £87.60 every fortnight
Occupation: full-time carer, Monmouth

About five years ago I quit my job as a general nurse in a private hospital in London to become a full-time carer for my dad. I’d called him up for a chat and he didn’t sound himself. Usually, he’d be upbeat and tell a joke but he seemed down and I thought I’d better pop back to see him at home in Wales. The person I saw wasn’t the dad I once knew; he was a frightened, frail 92-year-old who wasn’t coping.

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from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2DyYtLm

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