Save to Study at University! Enhance your CV! Earn in your GAP year!
Save to Study at University! Enhance your CV! Earn in your GAP year!
The “Caring Nature” of the work demands a flexible attitude to work. Effectively my Personal Assistants or Carers or Helpers (these words are interchangeable) have to be my arms and legs, carry out all my personal care, be professional and possess a patient and understanding manner.
The work is “Challenging”, as my Carers have the opportunity to problem solve and thereby try tasks they may not have carried out before, as humans that is how we learn & mature. I try to make the work interesting and provide the necessary instruction and training. Any nursing care role involves personal procedures, e.g. washing, etc, but all are necessary and rewarding.
Those seeking “Career Orientated” work will find that caring can encompass many aspects of the everyday work of healthcare professionals, e.g. a physiotherapist, an occupational therapist, a doctor and, of course, a nurse or even a midwife. Accordingly, this work will especially suit young people keen on careers in these professions, but others have also enjoyed the experience.
Carers normally work with me for a year or 6 months, before starting their professional studies.
A “Typical Helping and Caring Day” consists of the following:
6.45 am to 10.45 am #. MORNING ROUTINE.
This routine gets faster as any new carer becomes accustomed to the procedures.
The morning routine starts with me being turned and shaken to drain my chest.
My carers then turn me, insert suppositories and give me breakfast, which is normally porridge.
My carers then have their own breakfast and then return to manually evacuate my bowels.
After this procedure, I am hoisted into my shower chair to brush my teeth, be shaved & showered.
Back on the bed, I am dried, nebulised, cough assisted, given chest and passive physio.
Additional cleaning, assessing/dressing, creaming, etc, are completed.
(Memo: in the near future, I may be given a colostomy bag, so the above may change.)
I am then hoisted into my wheelchair and dressed. Unfortunately, sometimes I must stay in bed to relieve pressure sores or other skin damage to prevent such problems getting worse.
During the day my Helpers work varies (for example):
every hour or so, move me in my wheelchair & provide me with tea, water, etc, empty my urine bag, prepare/cook lunch, etc.. When time allows my carers help me with tidying, organising, shopping & assist me in my office work.
If I am bedbound due to skin problems, my carer helps with my computer and administration work. They also need to turn me and feed me.
They also as necessary:
Assist/Secure/Push me in my wheelchair into a special car and drive me to places
(e.g. shops, World Famous” Stoke Mandeville Hospital, etc), my carer prepares lunch & my wife normally prepares dinner (excluding Tuesdays), prepare drug trays, splints, adaptions, etc, to assist me and enable me to perform basic tasks.
8.45pm to 10.45pm #. BEDROOM ROUTINE
This procedure gets faster as a new carer gets used to it.
My carers assist me by cleaning my sinuses, helping me to brush my teeth & to use my peak flow meter, I am undressed & hoisted onto the bed, etc. They nebulise me, use my cough assist machine, perform chest physio, turn me, give medication, drinks of water, attach CPAP machine & settle me for the night.
10:45 PM to 6:45 AM #. NIGHT ROUTINE
I may have to wake my on-duty carer/s during the night, so I can be turned, given drinks of water, deal with any bowel or catheter issues &, if necessary, extra medication.
My Carers currently work on average “3.5 days off per week”. They normally work/on call for 24 hours a day for two days on, then two days off. However, few days or weeks are the same, e.g. when we travel, so Carers need to willingly adapt to changing circumstances & help as required. This routine of two days on then two days off may have to be flexible to reflect carer availability post BREXIT.
Considerable “Training” is given to ensure new Carers learn the job routine as quickly as possible. This is usually done by ex-Carers. If necessary, we can call on physiotherapists,
occupational therapists, nurses and other professionals or use online services.
My Carers can have plenty of “personal space” due to our 2 house location. They have a “degree of independence”, but in a “safe environment”. They have lots of time and freedom to explore on their own, with other carers and local au-pairs. At the same time participate in some of our “family life” and maybe “travel” with us on holiday, when health and circumstances allow.
# maybe earlier or later depending on experience/circumstances/commitments.
Unfortunately, COVID 19 may affect some of the above.