As many of us know or are finding out, there reaches a time in our lives where our parents start needing additional support as they get older and face new health challenges themselves.
For most people it is something that they know is going to come and they have family to help with these challenges.
But what about those who are already a full time carer for their child? What do these carers do when they need to also be there for their parents?
Over the last few years this has become something that has impacted Lifted greatly and it’s something that we have been hearing more and more with carers through our appointments and drops in. When you speak with these carers and ask them how they are doing? The answer we hear the most is,
“we just do what is natural to us”. These wonderful carers are known in our community as sandwich carers.
A few months ago, the BBC reached out to Lifted to see if Lifted wanted to be part of a documentary alongside Carers UK..
The team then went into action mode. We identified a Lifted Carer who is the main carer for her Dad and her Daughter. The team started to contact our other sandwich carers to see if they would like to speak with the BBC about the support they receive from Lifted and also what it’s like to be a sandwich carer themselves.
Our Chair supported the team and got stuck in with the team making sure the logistics on the day went smoothly for everyone on site. We were also supported by other members of the Dandelion Community to ensure the day ran smoothly.
What made the day even more special was seeing the impact our stories had on the host Gemma Oaten and the film crew, who are carers themselves. It’s that moment in someone’s eyes when they realise what they are experiencing is very similar to someone else who is also a carer but they have never shared it with anyone else. It’s the moment of knowing you are not alone and there is a community out there to help support you as a carer.
For the last few months, while the BBC crew edited the 6hours worth of footage into a 7 minute mini documentary. We have been waiting excitedly to share with you all the final outcome of all our hard work.
You can watch the clip here- https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m002khtw/morning-live-series-7-06102025
Skip to 29.40
