Big Responsibilities: Navigating Life as a Young Carer

2026-07-01

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Tully was only 15 when her mother was diagnosed with young onset dementia. She figured nobody at school would understand. John’s experience has, thankfully, been quite different. He’s 25 now, and cares for his grandmother who lives with dementia. Caring for her has been so rewarding for him that he’s now a professional support worker and studying to be a counsellor. Caring for a loved one living with dementia always has its challenges, and a sense of isolation is a common one. But for younger carers, that isola...

Tully was only 15 when her mother was diagnosed with young onset dementia. She figured nobody at school would understand.

John’s experience has, thankfully, been quite different. He’s 25 now, and cares for his grandmother who lives with dementia. Caring for her has been so rewarding for him that he’s now a professional support worker and studying to be a counsellor.

Caring for a loved one living with dementia always has its challenges, and a sense of isolation is a common one. But for younger carers, that isolation can be even more profound.

So few people in their teens or early twenties have done it, so it can feel like nobody around you understands the struggle.

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Hold the Moment is a podcast from Dementia Australia, produced by Deadset Studios and hosted by Jim Rogers and Hamish Macdonald.

ABOUT THE GUESTS

Tully Smyth is a writer, content creator and Dementia Australia Ambassador who was just 15 when her mother was diagnosed with young onset dementia, an experience she now shares as an advocate for other young carers.

John has been caring for loved ones since the age of five and is now a professional support worker studying to become a counsellor. John cares for his Mum as well as his Nonna, who lives with Parkinson’s disease and dementia.

NEED SUPPORT?

Contact the National Dementia Helpline: 1800 100 500. Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week - funded by the Australian Government.

SERVICES & RESOURCES

Find links, services and information from this episode → https://www.dementia.org.au/episode-big-responsibilities

EPISODE CREDITS

Produced by Liam Riordan | Sound design by Slade Gibson | Executive producers: Sarah Dabro and Kellie Riordan | Production manager: Ann Chesterman

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Dementia Australia and Deadset Studios acknowledge the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.

Dementia Australia acknowledges and appreciates the support of the Australian Government for this initiative.

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