Looking after yourself if you are a carer

Looking After Yourself Caring For Carers Panel

Caring for someone, even someone you love, can be tiring, and there will be many times when maintaining a positive outlook will be difficult. The constant demands of caring and the changes a person's illness brings to family life will bring about a range of feelings and emotions.

Emotions might include a sense of satisfaction at being a carer, but you may also feel anger and be overwhelmed by the situation.

Caring for someone can be physically and emotionally exhausting, and it is important to look after yourself. At times, you will need a break from not only your daily tasks but also from the person you're caring for—perhaps for a few hours, a day, or longer. Regular breaks from caring can help relieve the stress and exhaustion you may feel from time to time. Breaks can also provide benefits for the person being cared for; they can give people new experiences, something to look forward to, and memories to look back on.

Live Well

Advice, tips, and tools from the NHS to help you make the best choices about your health and wellbeing.

Oral health

Having a healthy mouth can help keep your whole body healthy. Poor dental health has been shown to cause gum disease, heart disease, diabetes, and various other complications, so looking after your oral health is very important. In this toolkit, you will find information on: How to effectively brush your teeth; Cleaning dentures and general denture care; How to effectively clean in between your teeth; Information on toothpaste and mouth wash; How to look after someone else's teeth and further information and resources about oral health.

Looking after your oral health (PDF) [735KB]