Guide to Life: Caring for ageing parents - and you

This week, we're talking about something so many of you have written to us about: Caring for and supporting our ageing parents.

It’s a role we might step into without much warning — full of emotion, stress and conversations we’d really rather avoid.

So this episode gives you practical tools for difficult conversations, ways to protect your own wellbeing and support you might not know is out there.

We hear from Cat Sims who's 44, raising two children, while also supporting parents whose care needs have escalated rapidly. Her mum, 80, is living with Parkinson’s, and her dad is her mum’s primary carer. He's 83.

She speaks to Nuala McGovern about the worry, guilt and exhaustion that comes with caring for the people who once cared for you — and what she wishes she’d known earlier.

Joining the discussion are Elder Mediator Tracey Adamson and Debby McGinnes, nurse and Head of Care and Quality at a care home in County Durham. Together, they share practical advice on:

- Starting difficult conversations before crisis hits
- Protecting your emotional wellbeing and boundaries
- Understanding the different types of support available
- How to find reliable information when everything feels overwhelming

Whether you’re planning ahead or already firefighting, this episode offers guidance to help you feel less alone — and more equipped — as your parents age.

For more information and support on elderly care, head to the BBC Action Line website. The NHS also has a very useful website page with links to key information whatever your situation – it's called ‘Introduction to care and support’: www.nhs.uk/social-care-and-support/introduction-to-care-and-support

GET IN TOUCH with your dilemmas and questions for The Woman’s Hour Guide to Life:
WhatsApp: 03700 100 444
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Email: womanshour.yourviews@bbc.co.uk

Episodes of The Woman’s Hour Guide to Life are released on Sundays, exclusively on BBC Sounds. You can also watch videos from the recordings on social media @bbcwomanshour.

The Woman’s Hour Guide to Life is presented by Nuala McGovern. The series is produced by Simon Richardson. Digital and audio production is by Erin Downes. The Content Editor is Olivia Bolton. The Executive Editor is Karen Dalziel.