‘Treat student carers like elite athletes’

One in four young people provides informal care. That is not always easy, says lecturer-researcher Hinke van der Werf: “Do I go to class or take my mother to hospital?”

It is Young Carers Week. Educational institutions, care organisations and municipalities are drawing attention to young people who care for someone close to them. Many students are among them.

“It’s not only about the practical care tasks you have”, says lecturer-researcher Hinke van der Werf of Hanze University of Applied Sciences Groningen. “It’s also about the constant worries and stress you experience at home.”

Van der Werf wrote her PhD thesis on young carers aged between 18 and 25. Two years ago she organised the first national meeting on education and informal care, which has taken place annually since then, this year in Rotterdam.

How many students in higher education are actually carers?

“One in four young people provides informal care. You can assume that the proportion among students is roughly the same. You especially see many young carers among students in care-related programmes, for example medicine, psychology, nursing and social work. Students are more likely to choose those courses if they have dealt with a care situation at home.”

When is a student a carer?

“If someone close to you is ill or needs care, for example a family member. It doesn’t only depend on the number of hours someone provides care. I’ve had students with a parent struggling with addiction, for example. They may do the shopping now and then, but that is not very different from what you do when living independently. Even so, they are carers too. Or there may be financial difficulties because a parent cannot work or because care is expensive. That can keep you awake at night. Worrying about someone can sometimes be harder than caring for someone.”

You expect the number of carers to increase. Why is that?

“The government is placing more responsibility for care on people at home. That means not only more care tasks, but also less money being available or people having to wait longer for care. That increases the pressure.”

“How demanding informal care is depends strongly on policy. Say you have a brother or sister with Down’s syndrome, but the care is well organised and your parents can manage it well. Formally you may still be a carer, but it does not necessarily have to be very burdensome. So that is also linked to political choices.”

What challenges do student carers face?

“These students often have to make difficult choices: do I go to class or take my mother to hospital? They want to study or do an internship, but they cannot simply set their responsibilities aside. That means they sometimes have to give things up. As a result, they have less time for friends or get lower grades. Sometimes they even drop out.”

“Studying is not only about gaining knowledge, but also about personal and social development. Think of moving into student accommodation or being active in a society. If you have care responsibilities, you are often limited in that. There are many things you cannot do that your peers can. That can lead to loneliness.”

What can educational institutions do for students?

“We do see some support measures, such as financial compensation for study delay. But those often only come once the need has become very urgent. What would help is a scheme like the elite sports arrangement. Students could indicate at the start of their studies that they are carers and then receive more flexibility on a structural basis. That way they would not have to keep asking for exceptions. Especially when a lot is going on, it can be difficult to ask for help.”

“Sooner or later everyone will encounter informal care. That is why we need to look out for one another. Lecturers and fellow students can play a role in that too. Just offering a listening ear can already mean a great deal. It doesn’t have to take long, but it can make all the difference.”