Tag Archives: caregiver wellbeing

Who Cares for the Carer? International Stress Awareness Week 2026

Matthew McKenzie — Caring Mind

As International Stress Awareness Week 2026 draws to a close, I want to highlight the pressures carried by unpaid carers and why their wellbeing must remain part of the conversation throughout the year.

Supporting a relative or friend can mean balancing appointments, employment, financial worries and disrupted sleep. Even during a quiet moment, a carer’s mind may still be on duty, thinking about what might happen next.

In my latest Caring Mind video, I explore these pressures and share some practical ways carers can find support.

Recognising the person behind the caring role

Carers need opportunities to speak honestly about stress without feeling guilty or judged. For some ethnic minority carers, racism, language barriers and having their concerns dismissed can add further pressure.

Taking a short break, enjoying poetry or music, or talking with someone supportive may help. Asking for specific practical assistance such as shopping or help with a caring task can also make space to rest.

However, reducing carer stress requires more than individual coping strategies. Reliable services, understanding employers, accessible information and meaningful involvement in care decisions all matter.

Please watch and share the video, and take a moment to ask an unpaid carer how they are coping. Listen to the answer, and consider what help you could offer.

The awareness week may be ending, but our responsibility to support unpaid carers continues.

Coffee & Connection: A Space Just for Cancer Caregivers

Caring for someone affected by cancer can be deeply meaningful—and incredibly demanding. Between appointments, medications, emotional support, and everyday life, caregivers often put their own needs last. Yet caregivers need care too.

That’s why Coffee & Connection exists: a welcoming, gentle space where caregivers can pause, breathe, and connect with others who truly understand.

You Don’t Have to Carry It Alone

As a cancer caregiver, you may find yourself holding many emotions at once, these being love, worry, exhaustion, hope, frustration, and resilience. While friends and family may care deeply, it can be hard to explain the realities of caregiving to someone who hasn’t lived it.

Coffee & Connection brings together people who get it.

This is a place to:

  • Share how cancer has impacted your life as a caregiver
  • Listen to others’ stories without judgment or pressure
  • Feel seen, heard, and supported
  • Simply enjoy a cup of coffee in good company

There’s no expectation to talk if you don’t want to. Sometimes, just being in the room with others who understand is enough.

A Warm, Caring Environment

Set in a relaxed café-style space, Coffee & Connection is designed to feel calm and human and not clinical. Where Conversations unfold naturally over tea and coffee, surrounded by warmth, greenery, and kindness.

Whether you are caring for a partner, parent, child, sibling, or friend at any stage of the cancer journey, you are welcome to attend.

When and Where

Every first and last Tuesday of the month
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Clapham Park, Cube
116 Kings Avenue
London, SW4 8EP

Want to Know More?

If you’d like more information or want to check in before attending, you can reach out to:

A Small Step That Can Make a Difference

Caregiving can feel isolating, but connection has the power to lighten the load. Coffee & Connection offers a gentle reminder that you are not alone, and that your experiences matter too.

If you’re a cancer caregiver looking for understanding, support, or simply a moment of calm, consider joining us. The coffee will be warm, and so will the welcome.

Partnering for Better Outcomes – Reflections on My Latest Royal College of Nursing Blog

By Matthew McKenzie – Cancer Carer forum Facilitator

Partnering for Better Outcomes – Reflections on My Latest RCN Blog

Supporting someone living with cancer is a journey filled with uncertainty, responsibility, and deep emotional commitment. As many carers know, much of this work happens quietly in the background. But every so often, there’s an opportunity to shine a light on the realities carers face and the vital partnerships that make a difference.

I’m proud to share that the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) recently invited me to contribute to their blog as part of a wider piece exploring how nurses support cancer caregivers. Written by Shannon Copeland (PhD researcher at Queen’s University Belfast), Partnering for better outcomes: How nurses support cancer caregivers highlights the evolving role of informal carers and the essential collaboration between families and nursing professionals.

In the blog, I shared my lived experience as an unpaid carer, the challenges, the emotional strain, and most importantly, the difference nurses can make when they recognise and support carers as part of the care team. Simple acts such as clear communication, continuity of support, and acknowledgment of a carer’s role can transform the caregiving experience.

Nurses often stand at the intersection of patient and carer needs. When they listen, guide, and empower carers, both patients and families benefit. I’m grateful to Shannon and the RCN for giving space to these conversations, and for highlighting the importance of carer voices in cancer care.

💙 Read the full RCN blog here: Partnering for better outcomes: How nurses support cancer caregivers
https://www.rcn.org.uk/news-and-events/Blogs/partnering-for-better-outcomes

If you’re a carer, a nurse, or someone interested in improving cancer support, I encourage you to give it a read and join the discussion. Together, we can continue raising awareness of the carer journey and push for better recognition, resources, and collaboration across health and social care.