Understanding caring
People often confuse the term “carer” with “care worker”. A care worker (sometimes called a support worker) is someone who has chosen to provide care or support services and receives a wage or salary from a care agency for doing so.
If you’re looking after a relative, partner or close friend because of illness, substance misuse or disability, unpaid then you are a carer. You may be a child or an adult.
Carers are often called family carers or informal carers by professionals.