A woman who is caring for both of her 12-year-old twins has said she would describe her life at times as “not living but just existing”.Catherine Rossiter (52), from Stillorgan, south Dublin, cares for children Aoife and Eoghan, who were born prematurely at 27 weeks. Aoife has cerebral palsy, is a wheelchair user and has epilepsy while Eoghan was diagnosed with autism 18 months ago. Rossiter is divorced and works as a lecturer at the Institute of Art, Design and Technology in Dún Laoghaire. Rossiter shared her situation as Family Carers Ireland warned that family carers are being pushed deeper into financial hardship and social isolation. The charity’s State of Caring 2026 report revealed 71 per cent are finding it difficult to make ends meet, while almost half experience severe loneliness.“I would describe my life as perhaps, at moments, not living but just existing. I just get through the days,” Rossiter said. “The days are long; they are 14 and 15 hour days. It’s relentless. I’m lucky that my daughter survived and my little boy survived.“I am really fortunate but that doesn’t diminish the long hours. There are moments where I think is this a test in human endurance? Like how much can one person take before they break?”The Family Carers Ireland report, based on responses from 2,930 current family carers, shows 75 per cent of carers have never received respite care. Photo: Mark Stedman Respite is “critical” for carers, said Rossiter, who usually receives around four hours per week subject to staff being available, and an overnight stay every couple of weeks. “The fatigue that you experience as a carer is something that you can’t explain unless you live it, because it is relentless,” she says. [ Over 50% of carers juggle work and family obligationsOpens in new window ]“I’m 12 years caring. Currently parents and care givers have to really fight and the default answer is no to more respite. I often spend my two hours of respite just sleeping.“More respite would allow me to care for my daughter at home and to give her a good quality of life. She’s a twin, I don’t want to separate her, I don’t want to put her into care. I’m 52 and I’ve a mortgage until I’m 70. I’ve got another 18 years of work and I’m just wondering how I’m going to manage that. “Supporting me in my home as a carer is how I can continue to care and that’s what I want more than anything from the Government.”The Family Carers Ireland report, based on responses from 2,930 current family carers, shows that half are cutting back on essentials such as food and heating. More than three quarters are reducing non-essential spending. Its recommendations include abolishing the carer’s allowance means test, moving towards a new family carer payment, increasing carer’s allowance and carer’s benefit to €325 per week, making carer payments tax exempt and introducing a cost of disability payment.