Catherine Simpson describes being caught between caring for her 95-year-old father in Lancashire and supporting her autistic adult daughter, Nina, during a severe mental health crisis in Edinburgh. Her account highlights the pressures facing families who must balance ageing parents’ increasing needs with the wellbeing of their own children, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic.

After a serious fall in January 2020, Stuart lost his ability to drive and could no longer safely live alone, so Simpson and her sister shared his care in fortnightly shifts despite living 170 miles away. As his health declined, he faced numerous appointments and diagnoses including diabetes, metastatic prostate cancer and repeated falls, while Nina struggled with stressful homeworking and a world Simpson says is often unsupportive of neurodivergent people.