A Note from the Creator

I created The Carer’s Compass after watching how hard the carers close to me worked to take care of their partners. It seemed to me that, whilst patients get a lot of resources, there is a gap for carers, even for something as simple as a “here’s where to go next”.

I watched my aunt take care of my uncle when I was a teenager, and a few years later I watched my mum take care of my dad, both of whom were diagnosed with cancer. I saw the mental pressure they endured and the toll it takes. I saw the feeling of responsibility, fear and, above all, the courage that a carer holds.

After my dad passed away, I began talking to other carers whose loved ones - whether a parent, a sibling, or a partner - were diagnosed with cancer. I began to understand their different experiences and how each person’s circumstances change the process.

In an attempt to weave together these common experiences, I created this short and simple guide - informed by each carer I spoke to - for a primary carer who doesn’t know where to start and hasn’t been in this position before. Everyone’s circumstances are different, and no single piece of information will solve everything, but I hope that a carer can at least take one thing from this guide. I hope that it continues to be shaped by carers and can, one day, become something more.

Adi