'I may have to give up paramedic job to care for mum who has dementia'

400,000 ADULTS LEAVING CAREERS TO BE CARERS

- By LOUIS CORBETT

A PARAMEDIC has spoken out about having to make the choice between caring for his dementia-stricken mum and retiring early.

Alan Morley-Davis, 59, spent years working his way up to his senior position in the NHS. But as his mother's health has deteriorated, he can’t keep up with caring for her while working 12-hour shifts.

Alan said: "Mum cared for me, and it is my turn to pay her back - but I am exhausted. I work 12-hour shifts, and my sister cares for her but, because of the guilt I have and the toll it takes on my sister, every day off is spent looking after my mum.

"People encourage me to focus on my work/life balance - but there just isn’t one, and I just feel something has to give."

His mum, Pamela, started to find routine things challenging and was forgetting more and more each week.