I took care of my husband at home until he passed away. We had shared a great life together and had many common interests, especially sport. My husband suffered from a neurological disease and had other joint and mobility problems. His needs became greater when he had a fall, which resulted in him having to choose between rest home placement or home support.

We chose Enliven Restorative Home Support, as the service most suited our needs. A big problem for me was finding support that would look at some of my needs, not just my husbands. I realised that no matter how much you love someone, and how deep your devotion is, there are limits to the amount you can give, if you do not have the opportunity to recharge your own batteries, particularly as an older person.

I needed the opportunity to get out and play golf occasionally, and to be able to plan my week, knowing that support is available, someone to take care of my husband in our own home, where he can be as independent as possible. Being able to have that time out regularly, allowed my husband and me to remain as positive as possible, despite many difficult and tiring times we went through together. I was very grateful that there was support available for me as well as my husband.

When you're older you can't do the things you could do as a younger person, and caring for another is very demanding physically as well as emotionally. The Caring for Carers service provides support, training and advocacy for people like me. It's a great place to share the burdens of caring for someone.