اس مضمون کو اردو آڈیو ورژن میں سننے کے لیے یہاں کلک کریں (Click here for the Urdu audio version of this article).

Young adult carers in England

Young people aged 16 to 24 years who care for ill or disabled family members on an unpaid basis are known as ‘young adult carers’. The words used to describe carers may vary across South Asian communities, such as دیکھ بھال کرنے والے or نگہداشت کرنے والے. There are over 215,000 young people in England (aged 18–24 years) providing unpaid care in England (ONS, 2023). Many of these young people are caring for over 20 hours per week (ONS, 2023). Their caring roles are often not recognised by family members – especially in South Asian communities – or by health, social care and education professionals. 

Are you a young adult carer?

Alternatively, if you are a South Asian parent of a young person, perhaps your daughter or son is a carer?

What do South Asian young adult carers do?

We are carrying out research with South Asian young adult carers living in England (see below). We interviewed them about what their caring roles involve. Their caring tasks range from doing housework, helping the people they care for to get dressed or to wash, organising their medications and interpreting for them when they have a doctor’s appointment. The care these young people give makes a real difference to their family members’ quality of life.  

Caring for others in South Asian families

Having a caring role can be a rewarding experience. Some of our young participants said caring for others helped them to become mature and responsible adults. Being a carer also helped them to develop patience, compassion and confidence. They developed practical skills such as communication, interpreting and budgeting. 

At the same time, the caring role was physically demanding and tiring. The young people often worried about the people they cared for and also about their own health. As they did not have much free time, there was little time for hobbies and they missed seeing their friends. 

Managing the caring role alongside studying

The young adult carers we interviewed were also studying at college or university. Like other young people, they were keen to learn and want to succeed in their courses. However, they sometimes missed classes due to their caring responsibilities. At times, they found it difficult to do their coursework and prepare for exams. 

Where to get support

The young people in our study were all receiving support from a young adult carers service. Unfortunately, there are many more young people who are caring for family members but are not receiving such support. 

If you are a young adult carer, it is important to have someone to talk to.

The staff in young adult carers services will listen to you and organise social events where you can meet your peers who are also carers. The staff will also provide advice and information and direct you to other sources of support such as bursaries, benefits, respite, counselling, educational support and financial advice. You can find out more about young adult carers services via the Carers Trust website.

If you are a parent of a young adult carer, talk to them about the caring they are doing. Encourage them to seek support from social care services, including those mentioned above. Check that they are looking after their own health and are making time for themselves. As caring is a collective responsibility, ensure that other family members – female and male – are helping out on a regular basis. 

Audio

Here is the Urdu audio version of this article:

اردو ٹرانسکرپٹ / Transcript

Acknowledgements

Thank you to the young adult carers and other participants who are taking part in our research and to the organisations who are supporting the study. Our research is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research.

To find out more about our research check out our website: SATTA: South Asian Young Adult Carers’ Transitions to Adulthood.