LIVE-IN CARE – A DEDICATED JOB
We are proud of the work that our carefully selected carers do every single day. It takes a special kind of person to work through the long list of duties our clients expect, while maintaining a professional, kind and caring attitude.
To get some insight into what it’s really like to do the job, we asked one of our carers to write a diary for a day. Please note that we have changed the names of individuals in this story to protect their privacy.
Helen has worked in the social care sector for over 20 years, she’s a qualified social worker but has also worked in various settings as a residential social worker/support worker. Here’s her account of a typical day in her job…
“My current client is Paul who is in his early fifties. Paul had a back operation five years ago because of a cyst. The operation has left his legs very weak and now he can hardly bear weight. He uses a wheelchair to move himself around at home and when we go out. He can do lots of things for himself, but needs assistance with preparing meals and drinks, housework, personal care, getting dressed and sometimes he will ask me to help with his medication. Paul is a very independent person who likes his personal space but at the same time, he enjoys company.
8:00am – It’s a typical morning. I go in to Paul to wake him up with a nice cup of tea and return to my room until he is ready to get up.
9:00am – After helping Paul to get up and into the bathroom, I find his clothes for him and help him get dressed, he’s usually quite particular about what he’s going to wear so sometimes it takes a while to get things just right for him. Then I help Paul downstairs for his breakfast which I have already prepared.
10:30am – Today is a Thursday. On Thursdays Paul likes to go into town after we’ve eaten breakfast. We usually just have a wander around, go for a coffee and then – the highlight of Paul’s week – we pop into the betting shop! Paul loves the horses and every Thursday he will have a bet, usually just a couple of pounds. Sometimes he wins but more often he loses, and he gets very excited so we have a good laugh.
12:30pm – We usually stay in town for a couple of hours, then go for lunch at a local pub. Today Paul orders his favourite meal – fish and chips with a pint of beer. I have my usual poached salmon salad with sparkling water.
2:30pm – After lunch we return home to put our feet up. I get us a cup of tea and we treat ourselves to a few chocolates that I’ve been given by a friend.
3:30pm – Paul enjoys using his computer to catch up on news, chat to friends and family on Skype or to play a game. While he’s busy with this I use the time to prepare dinner, and to get some household jobs (washing, ironing or tidying up) done. Paul has a cleaner who comes once a week to do a proper clean so I just do the daily maintenance so that the house is nice for him. He also has a fortnightly gardener; my only job out in the garden (besides getting the barbecue going in the summer!) is to feed the goldfish in his pond. He doesn’t have any other pets but clients in the past have had animals, so caring for them or walking the dog has often been part of my workload.
6:00pm – Paul loves his food and he doesn’t really mind what we have to eat ‘as long as it has a bit of a kick’. Usually we’d discuss in the morning what he would like for dinner, but because Paul has already had a big meal at the pub he just wants a ham and mushroom omelette with plenty of cheese! I do him some ice cream with fruit for pudding. I’m trying to be healthy so I make an omelette for me but without the cheese. As usual we sit and chat while we eat. Today we talk about the latest cricket scores and whether Donald Trump could ever really be the US President. We really enjoy this time of day, just sitting together and discussing what’s going on in the world.
7:00pm – After tea I clear up the kitchen while Paul watches his favourite TV programmes. I usually go to my room to watch something that I prefer. It’s a good idea to give clients a bit of space at regular points in the day. I don’t want my clients to feel as though they have lost all privacy or that they can’t get a bit of quality ‘me’ time! Around 8pm I make us a cup of tea then at 9 o’clock I remind him to take his medication.
9:30pm – I help Paul to get upstairs, to undress, with his personal care and to get into bed. I turn on his telly and he watches it until he falls asleep.
10:30pm – When he is asleep I take some time out to get ready for the following morning before I go turn in myself. On occasion Paul might need my help during the night, and it’s a weight off his mind (and for his family) to know that I am immediately on hand to help him should there be an emergency.
I love my job, because I know that I’m making a big difference to Paul’s quality of life and I’m really pleased with the working relationship that we’ve been able to develop. I think he feels happy too.”
If you have any questions about live-in care and the best way forward for your family, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the Otus Live-in Care team on 01403 710119 for a ‘no obligation’ chat. Or visit our website at www.otusliveincare.com. We’d love to be of help to you and answer any questions you may have.