About 8,000 young people in NI help to look after someone who has a disability or poor health.
Anthony Murray, 18, is from Waterfoot in County Antrim and helps care for his mother Briege who has a form of epilepsy.
He said: “Every time you leave the house, you always have your phone close at hand, just in case you get a call to say you need to rush home.
“So it’s always at the back of your mind thinking, is today going to be a good day or is it going to be a stressful day?”
Barnardo’s NI says the lockdown has created an added pressure for carers.
Anthony, who is a member of the charity’s Young Carers Service, said that because of his mum’s medication, she cannot get out to see people, which has affected her mental health.
“It also meant none of us had the same support network outside your family and that’s had a big impact particularly on me as I can’t go out and see my friends, so it’s been a really challenging time.”
Nearly 100,000 more people have become unpaid carers since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, says Carers NI.
Video journalist: Niall McCracken
