"Actress Audrey Jenkinson was starring in a BBC television series when she put her career on hold and returned home to Edinburgh to care for her mother suffering from a stroke and her father with cancer. In Past Caring, she describes how she tried to cope with her parents deaths and recalls the void she felt at the time: "I wondered how others coped in similar situations. When I discovered there were no books on the subject. I decided to write one." Audrey travelled throughout the UK. interviewing former carers and asking them how they rebuilt their lives. The stories I heard were both fascinating and uplifting, and I knew other people would find them interesting and helpful. Past Caring also includes a twelve-step recovery guide for past carers."

Concern for the carer is as important as concern for the patient. Past Caring tells why"

Dame Judi Dench

"With Jenkinson's positive approach to picking up the pieces post-caring, she is surely on the road to becoming

a life coach."

The Guardian

"A remarkably candid book."

Daily Mail

Contents

Introduction

Part 1

My Story

Part 2

Past Caring

Part 3

A Recovery Guide

• Past Caring is a sharing of stories. They are personal stories that have been generously told to me. My hope is that they will in some way touch and inspire those who read them. This book was born from a wish to give something back. It is a thank you to Valerie Eaton Griffith who took time to document her story and make a difference in my life.

  With love, Audrey.