This is the story of Rieanna from a Carefree break for an Invisible Army exhibition
Discover more about the full exhibition in our Carers Week 2025 round-up.
For Carers Week this year, we launched a photography exhibition that showcased the real stories of unpaid carers and the respite breaks they were able to take thanks to us. The exhibition, in partnership with Invisible Army, was created to capture the everyday challenges and joys of these amazing individuals. Now you can read their stories right here on the Notebook!
Rieanna's Story
Since Rieanna was eight years old, her mum, Bridget's mental health has been up and down. When Bridget was partially unwell, social care placed Rieanna with her nan. But she went back and forth between her nan and mum until, at 13, she was fully handed over to her nan's care. "I learned to be a very resilient person," she explains. "I didn't want to be a victim of my circum- stances. I was also lucky to have my nan who has always been a strong role model in my life." Rieanna understands that her turbulent childhood was because her mum was and still is - unwell. She continues to support her to maintain stability and access the care she needs. When Rieanna arrives at Bridget's home, she takes a moment to check how she's doing - whether there is anything she needs to talk about and if everything is in order in the flat. You can see Rieanna loves her mum and wants the best for her. She checks if the food in the fridge is in date, if clothes are away and whether the things she organised over the phone with professionals have been done. Her mum's shower is broken and was meant to be fixed earlier in the week but hasn't been. She makes a mental list of what she needs to do in the following days: contact housing about the shower, order takeaway for tonight's dinner, contact doctor to order more prescriptions and cancel old ones.
Bridget has schizophrenia. She experienced a relapse a year ago after abruptly stopping all her medication and was sectioned under the Mental Health Act. "I had to say yes to her section - I knew she needed support I couldn't offer," says Rieanna. "She's still my mum, but I'm grieving who she was before the relapse and I'm still adjusting to who she is now. Her cognitive ability has changed significantly. They're doing tests to explore if she has a type of dementia or if the change is because of suddenly stopping all her medication." Rieanna is having to adjust, relearning what her mum can and can't understand and do for herself. Bridget calls her several times every day. "When I'm at work I have to block her," Rieanna shares. "It sounds horrible, but my mum doesn't understand that I'm working and could lose my job for taking calls. Each one is about something I've already explained to her. I know the care workers visit throughout the day now so she's safe. As soon as I finish work, I unblock and speak with her."
Rieanna explains that she spends a lot of time organising Bridget's flat and labelling everything, but Bridget still struggles to keep tidy. "I need you to go through these clothes," Rieanna prompts her mum, pointing to a pile of clothes on the floor. "It's too much to organise," Bridget replies. "Mum I want to support you, but I can't manage all of this by myself. I need you to try and keep things how I've set them up," Rieanna responds. "I know you can do this. You need to try to maintain the organisation I leave you with." She looks at her mum, takes a breath and says, "I'll try and come back in the holidays when I have more time to sort your flat again. But I can't keep doing it every month, it's such a big job."
"I used to do everything for my mum when she first came home from the hospital after her mental health relapse," shares Rieanna. "Her social worker, care support team, and I are working with her to support more independence and confidence in daily life." Things are a little easier now that she has arranged regular care workers to support Bridget. "Unless I have to take mum to an appointment, we have a clear routine now," she says. "But appointments can throw it off as I have to work out how to get her there alongside my other commitments." Sometimes her mum is particularly frustrated or upset and shouts at care workers to leave. Rieanna needs to drop everything to go and check she is okay and that everything that needs doing is done. Luckily, this happens less now as Bridget has built a good relationship with her regular care workers. She had been staying in most of the time but is now getting two hours extra support a week, to go to her local shop or library. She loves art and is soon starting an art course at college.
For the past few years, Rieanna has also cared for nan, Valda, who has dementia and is bedbound following a recent fall. "I have to schedule everything and stick to time, otherwise there is no way I'd get everything in," Rieanna explains. She also cares for her sister, who uses a wheelchair after a stroke four years ago, and supports her sister's three children. At the same time, she is a single mum to her own 15-year-old son. Each of her family members lives a 40-minute drive from the others. "Caring has taken over my life," Rieanna shares. "I miss most of the fun, the time in the sun with my friends. By the time I've done everything everyone needs, the sun is setting, or my friends have finished their plans. I try to coordinate things to see them, but it's not easy."
Rieanna loves being a part of her local carnival. "This will be my first year back," she shares. "My mum, nan and sister have all been partially unwell over the last few years which means I haven't been able to go to the gym. I lost the confidence I need to get into costume. But I can get my life back now we have the care workers for mum and nan." She has also been able to start a postgraduate degree in positive psychology and wellbeing coaching - the first person in her family to go to university. She wants to start a business coaching young people while living abroad, but her caring roles may make it impossible to move out of London. Over the last few years, she's been diagnosed with IBS, other stomach issues and fibromyalgia, which she puts down to the stress of carrying these roles.
Rieanna has never been able to claim carers allowance. Although it takes more than 35 hours a week to care for her family, she has always earned over the threshold. In two years, she will turn 40 years old. "I want to start living for myself, explore who I am outside of caring -finally!" She laughs. "I wish I could have a soak in a bath. I haven't had one in years - I only have time to take quick showers."
By transforming vacant hotel rooms into vital breaks for full-time unpaid carers, we at Carefree were able to give Rieanna the chance to stop, rest and do something she wants to do. She's eager to visit a restaurant that offers the finest experiential dining, inspired aesthetically by a traditional Chinese Courtyard House. After getting ready and putting on her heels, she heads there to enjoy a beautiful meal with her cousin.
Catch up with a Carefree break for an Invisible Army exhibition
To read the rest of the stories and discover everything Carefree did during Carers Week 2025, check out our summary below!
(All photo credits: ©Invisible Army)
