Who Cares : The Hidden Crisis of Caregiving, and How We Solve It

A visceral, unsparing picture of our current situation . . . I can't recommend it highly enough' ROB DELANEY'

A radical vision for how we might do things better in future' LADY BRENDA HALE

'Heartbreaking, beautiful and necessary . . . and every page of it an act of love' SARAH JAFFE

A ground-breaking rethink of caregiving in our society, by writer, activist and former policy advisor Emily KenwayAround the world, millions of people are quietly caring for long-term unwell, elderly or disabled loved ones; one-in-eight people in the UK and a sixth of the total US population, with comparable proportions across the globe. For many, this is a full-time job, saving our economies billions each year. Yet when writer, activist and former policy advisor Emily Kenway found herself in the painful position of caring for her mother, she discovered that provision for people in her situation was, at best, hopelessly inadequate and, at worst, completely non-existent.

This isn't only in the form of paltry financial handouts for informal caregivers, but also a dearth of social, psychological, workplace and community structures to support people going through this experience. Deftly blending memoir, polemic and deeply researched investigation, Who Cares lifts the lid on a subject society has never been willing to confront. Through Emily's personal story, as well as the voices of other caregivers and those receiving care, unflinching investigations into the facts of care, and research from scientists at the forefront of potential solutions all over the world, this ground-breaking books asks vital questions about why we have a 'crisis of care', at both a global level and in the individual lives affected - and shows how we need to reorganise and reimagine the fundamental building blocks of our world to ensure caregiving is at its heart.

Praise for Emily Kenway's first book, The Truth About Modern Slavery:'A powerful treatise' Amelia Gentleman, Guardian'A must-read' Frankie Boyle, comedian'Electrifyingly good' Molly Smith, co-author of Revolting Prostitutes: The Fight for Sex Workers' Rights