Anne, 64, looks after her husband, Reggie

'Carers come in to get him up in the morning, but I need more hours of help from them. He goes to the day centre for three days a week. I get some time to myself and he sees other people and gets out of the house. I also have someone who sits with him for four hours a week while I go out.

'My health has suffered. I have back, neck and shoulder pain that is probably from having to move him manually. I am also getting osteoarthritis in my hands and my knuckles are swollen. It’s double wear and tear – from getting older and helping someone else all the time. I’ve been advised to rest for two months,
but it’s not possible.

'I don’t have a life of my own. I can’t come and go as I choose. I have no social life.

'Reggie also has vascular dementia. It’s a very lonely life. I can’t have a conversation with him. It’s very distressing – he’s a shadow of the person I’ve known.'

Photography by Sam Mellish.

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