Rose Fernandes from Wembley cares for her 18 year-old daughter, Crystal, who was born with autism. She also cares for her mum who has dementia and lives with Rose and Crystal.
Rose has been on her own ever since her husband died from cancer when Crystal was two years old. The day-to-day care for Crystal is constant – she needs to be washed, dressed, fed, taken to the toilet and watched all the time as she is not aware of everyday dangers. Crystal is learning a number of these tasks for herself but still needs to be constantly overseen.
As well as caring for her daughter, Rose also educates Crystal at home. Rose admits that managing Crystal’s education and care programme is a full time job.
"I’m so busy" she says, "Every year goes by so quickly and I can’t set out to do what I need to do.” However, Rose feels that if more funding could be found which in turn would result in more care, her ambition of being a nutritionist could be realised.
Read more about Rose in a special report about carers in the New Statesman magazine. more...
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