Case study: ‘I was completely taken aback by how much support there is out there’

Betty Findlay was forced to give up her job to look after her mother, who had suffered a stroke.

Just months after she started, Ms Findlay realised she could not juggle her job with caring.

For the past four years, she has provided round-the-clock care for her 81-year-old mother, Isabel.

Like many carers, Ms Findlay, 59, says she has struggled with depression and loneliness.

She said: “I had a very busy life before, working full-time in a call centre and going out and about.

“It was a huge decision giving up work. I had no idea just how isolating and restrictive it was going to be. I seemed to lose contact with the outside world. I got very depressed and found life very stressful.”

Ms Findlay now lives with her mother and son, Robert, 35, near Tain. She only became aware of the network support available to carers after searching the internet. She said: “About a year ago I thought enough was enough. I knew I needed help because I was so down.

“I was taken aback by how much support is out there. It has totally turned my life around.”