AN IRISHWOMAN who cares for her frail parents on a full-time basis has been honoured with Ireland’s Carer of the Year award.
Paula Robinson, from Co. Cavan, was among 30 people recognised today at the eleventh annual Carers of the Year Awards hosted by The Carers Association in Dublin.
Ms Robinson looks after her 84-year-old mother, who has Alzheimer’s disease, and her 92-year-old father, who is suffering from bowel cancer and has dementia.
She provides around-the-clock care and sleeps in the same room as her mother to ensure her safety.
The unsung heroine also feeds her mother each and every meal day in, day out.
The Republic of Ireland is home to over 350,000 carers across its 26 counties, which amounts to around one in twenty of its population.
It’s believed that one in five Irish people will be required to take on a caring role by 2030.
Last year’s Carer of the Year prize was awarded to Dorothy Meaney from Co. Limerick, who provides full-time care to her daughter Zondra, 32, who suffers from the debilitating Ehlers Danlos Syndrome.
Ms Meaney gave up work to look after her daughter as well as Zondra’s 10-year-old son, and regularly travels with her to Britain for treatment as there are no specialists in Ireland that deal with the disorder.
