In this episode I chat with Dr. Jackie Gray about Carents, a UK-based platform she created to give a voice and practical support to unpaid adult carers — the large, often invisible group caring for ageing parents. Jackie shares how the platform started as an information site in 2020 and has evolved into a free, comprehensive hub offering legal guidance, NHS navigation, peer support, and proactive information delivery. The discussion covers the growing demand as the population ages, the emotional and practical burdens on carers, the impact on workplaces, and how Carents addresses these challenges through community, education, and collaboration with partners.

• Carents began as an information website in 2020 to provide objective, non-commercial guidance for carers who were overwhelmed by sales-led options. It has expanded to include a thriving community, proactive information delivery (emails, e-booklets, webinars), and access to wider expertise, all offered for free.


• The research highlights the distinctive challenges of caring for older adults at home, including managing two homes, long travel for care, and a substantial emotional load. In their ‘Carents in the Workplace’ study, 71% of respondents reduced hours, changed roles, or left work due to caregiving responsibilities, underscoring the economic and personal impact.


• National data show about 60% of carers are women (40% men), with women often taking on the heavier, more time-consuming tasks. Increasingly, caregivers juggle multiple generations (so-called ‘club sandwich carers’), menopause-related health issues, and retirement/pension implications—creating long-term health and financial inequality. There are currently 1.5 million sandwich carers in the UK.


• The number of adults aged over 85 is projected to DOUBLE over the next 15 years - putting additional strain on the NHS, social care, individuals and families.


• Carents is free to access, offering both peer support and practical resources (legal basics, care service selection, dementia info, arthritis care, etc.). In five years the platform has grown to 7,000+ community members and 55,000+ email subscribers. 


• Jackie continues to push for systemic improvements in how society, workplaces, and services recognize and support carers, including workplace rights and flexible arrangements.

Visit carents.co.uk to access information, join the community, or participate in events and webinars. 

You can also reach Jackie at hello@carents.co.uk

If you enjoy the podcast please help us grow by sharing this episode, or writing a review.

You can also find me at www.thetripleshift.org / www.managingthemenpause.com / www.holdingupthesky.com 

connect with me at https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmacthomas/ 

follow along on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/middlingalong_podcast/

or subscribe to my Substack at https://middlingalong.substack.com/