Just over a quarter of people (26%) would be likely to ask friends for help with washing and eating if they were seriously ill, according to a survey.

A total of 2,059 people were asked to in a YouGov poll to think about how they would feel asking their friends to help them wash and dress themselves, eat and go to the toilet.

Help with the toilet proved to be the most controversial, with just over one in seven (14%) people saying that they would be likely to ask friends for help using it or cleaning up after an accident that involved diarrhoea.

The survey was commissioned by The Princess Royal Trust for Carers, which is launching a Facebook app called Who cares? to get users thinking about who they would choose to be their carer.

Welsh actor Michael Sheen has pledged his support for the Trust and believes that the app is a great way to reach an audience that may not normally think of the issue.

He said: “Carers can easily lose friends because of their responsibilities and end up feeling very lonely.

“I think this Facebook app is a really good way to reach out to an audience that doesn’t usually think about these issues and to raise awareness about what it feels like to have your life taken over by being a carer.

“It can be very hard and carers need their friends to understand their situation.”

When people were asked how likely they would be to help a friend in need, almost two-thirds said they would help a friend to eat and wash themselves.

Just under a half (45%) said they would be likely to volunteer to help friends go to the toilet.

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