CHRISTINE ROBINSON, 58, from Blackburn, is a carer for her mother who has Alzheimer’s and Vascular Dementia.

“Mum was diagnosed in 2010. The first few years were OK. There were incidents, like I had to stop her putting a tin of budgie seed in the microwave and when I asked her why, she said, ‘Thank God, it wasn’t the budgie’. Then the bad days started outweighing the good days and in 2013 she needed full time care. I lived with her for about eight months but for my own sanity – verbal abuse mainly – I had to step out of the equation and re-address the care.

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“We lost my father to cancer in 2005 and after that mum was very depressed and anxious. In 2010 she started having seizures. She’d just put her head down and pass out. That’s when we decided to get her assessed.

“I worked full time as a distribution manager for Thwaites brewery. My work was also my social life. In 2013 I took voluntary redundancy to set up my own business, but since mum’s diagnosis my life has been on hold.

“Carers are invisible. I felt isolated and once you accept the responsibility for caring for someone then that’s your job. My sister is a registered carer with me. Mum was a strong, independent, opinionated lady. This disease has tripled her personality and although she loves her family, sometimes she is physically aggressive and she can pack a punch at 86. She used to get very angry and tiny things would set her off. If I didn’t agree with her then she’d lash out.

“Eventually we had to admit her to a care home. I felt very guilty about that, but she needed the level of care. Now she’s with people her own age who she can chat to. It’s wonderful, but I had seen 12 care homes before we chose that one. I did unannounced visits and I would condemn nine of those I saw because they were like concentration camps.

“I’ve lost everything as a result of my mum’s condition - my parents’ inheritance because the price of her care is so expensive. Now I’m in a situation where I don’t have a full time job – although I do a lot of voluntary work. I had a fantastic salary which has been reduced to £61 a week carer’s allowance. I didn’t expect at 58 to have to look for another full time job.

“There needs to be much greater awareness of dementia from both perspectives. The carer has enough to deal with without having to fight to get the level of care needed. I’m on a mission to bring the plight of carers to the forefront of society because at the moment they’re invisible.”