Life as a Carer: Managing Difficult Talks on Independence | Care to Speak #5

In this episode of Care to Speak, host Steve Horscroft sits down with Mandy May, a dedicated carer navigating the challenges of both professional and unpaid family care. Mandy shares her personal experiences caring for her mother, who has dementia and arthritis, as well as the journey of arranging support, accessing adult social care and ensuring her mum stays connected and engaged. 🧡 Topics covered: ✔️ Recognising early signs of dementia ✔️ The impact of social isolation during COVID-19 ✔️ Managing difficult conversations about independence ✔️ Finding and working with self-employed carers ✔️ The role of memory cafes and social activities ✔️ Accessing direct payments and navigating adult social care Mandy’s story highlights the realities of balancing family, work, and caregiving responsibilities while ensuring dignity and quality of life for loved ones. 🔗 Listen & Subscribe Catch Care to Speak on YouTube, Spotify, Amazon and other platforms. 💬 Join the Conversation Are you a carer? Share your experiences in the comments below. #CareToSpeak #DisabilityCornwall #DementiaCare #UnpaidCarers #AdultSocialCare #podcast #carerspodcast - Please consider subscribing to our YouTube Channel! And if you want the audio-only version, please search DISCOVER Voices on all major audio platforms including Spotify, Apple Podcasts & Amazon Music.  DISCOVER Voices is a brand-new podcast network that discusses life through the lens of people living with long-term health conditions or disabilities.  We welcome a variety of hosts all with their own podcast series, giving their own outlook and take on topics and discussions that are close to their heart.  We try our very best to make these podcasts as accessible as possible, if you require captions to access our podcast, please view the podcast on our YouTube Channel where all of our videos have closed captions, simply search DISCOVER Voices on YouTube search bar.  Discover Voices (c) 2025, a production by registered charity, disAbility Cornwall & Isles of Scilly.