'It's Important to Have As Much to Do with Your Family As You Can'

Summary

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WHEN her widowed father was unable to cope on his own, Carol Cookson knew the place for him was her home. The 52-year-old, of Sherwin Road, Stanfield, cared for Albert for seven years in the house she shared with her husband and four children. Now she is a widow with four grandchildren and is busy babysitting. "My mum, Irene Perks, died in 1990 when she was aged 54," says Carol. "While she was alive, I used to help her and my dad with cooking and cleaning.

"I had at least two of my children at the time, so it was hard, but we managed." After Irene died, Carol's father lived on his own for a while, "but he had osteoarthritis, heart disease and asthma," she says, "and it got to the stage where he couldn't manage." Albert was hesitant about leaving his home, but soon settled in with his daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren. Albert died seven years ago aged 66. She says: "He managed a bit on his own, but I cooked and did his washing."

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'It's Important to Have As Much to Do with Your Family As You Can'

But Carol admits she strugg...

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