Tag Archives: carers
Jo Whiley: Carers aren't recognised or given enough support
Radio 2 DJ and TV presenter Jo Whiley, 47, has four children, aged from four to 20. Her sister has a learning disability and she worries about what will happen with her in the future.
My sister Frances is three years younger than me and has cri du chat, a learning disability. As a child, I became protective of her and took on more of a caring role, which I see in my own children. They always go out of their way to help Aunty Frances and my parents. If you have someone in your family who can be demanding, as Frances can be, you have to help and be more aware of people.
I used to take Frances out quite a lot when we were growing up. We had a mutual love of music and we’d get the bus to town on Saturdays and buy 7in singles for her record player at home. We went to Cornwall recently on holiday, my family and my parents, to give them a break while my sister stayed with someone. We walked past a record shop and my dad nipped in to see if he could find any records for the jukebox at home for Frances. We have Frances and the things she might like in our minds all the time.
Anosmia: Norfolk clinic helps those without a sense of smell
Imagine a world where you have no sense of smell.
By Martin Barber BBC News, Norfolk
Sarah Page just wants to sense the comforting smell of her boyfriend Andy and other everyday pleasuresImagine a world where you have no sense of smell.
The aromas of a morning coffee, fresh flowers, clean washing, newly baked bread or perhaps the comforting scent of loved ones – all gone.
That world is very real to an estimated three million people in the UK who spend their lives with no sense of smell – a condition known as anosmia.
It can lead to life-threatening situations, isolation, depression and a loss of interest in food as 80% of what we taste comes from smell. The common cold is one of a number of causes.
