Care Professional Testimonials: Noticing the Little Things

We continue with another instalment of our Care Professional Testimonials. We are incredibly lucky at Home Instead Epsom to have an expert team of Care Professionals who see their role as more than a job. The understanding and sensitivity they put into their role means our clients and their families feel safe and seen.

Our fantastic Recruitment Manager, Maggie took some time to reflect on what it really means to be a carer. For her, it all begins when you start noticing the little things. When, as a carer you begin to pay attention to the details, it can have the power to transform a client’s experience with care. Let’s hear from Maggie.

“When we hear the term ‘Carer’, what thought springs to mind first? Heavy, back-breaking lifting of a person? Those slightly less than lovely tasks a person might need help with? Being treated like a skivvy with no training or backup? A lot of hard work with very little reward or job satisfaction? You have elderly family members you don’t get along with so this job isn’t for you?

All understandable things to think, and if you’ve never been in a position to care for someone on a professional level before, it can be a bit daunting, and you’ll have many questions, and quite rightly so, because if we don’t ask, we don’t find out, right?

In this modern world, it seems that people in general are so busy rushing around from A to B, looking down at their phones paying no attention to their surroundings and the people around them, which all seems rather stressful and solitary, communicating primarily through a hand held screen.

Here’s something to try. Next time you’re in a town, put your phone down and start to look. Perhaps go into a coffee shop, sit by the window and really, properly watch and see what’s going on around you, focussing on the older generation. Do you see the gentleman with his walking stick, carrying a bag, in his other hand? Perhaps he drops something, but he struggles to pick it up because his balance and painful knees don’t allow him to bend down as he used to do when he was younger, and for quite some time, he flounders, being jostled by the passers-by, all too busy on their phones to notice he needs help, and he doesn’t feel he can ask a stranger because it’s not what you do. He looks worried, frightened, frustrated, then finally someone stops to offer him assistance so he can continue his slow, shuffle along the street. The relief and gratitude shows on his face, and the two smile at each other and exchange pleasantries for a moment before he continues on with his solitary day. That will most likely be the only person he’ll talk to today; it’s very lonely when a partner passes away and the life-long companion is no longer there.

There’s a lady, back bent from arthritis, pushing a wheel-along bag in front of her. It’s cold outside but the clothes she’s wearing don’t seem warm enough for the current weather, and her hands look blue on the handle of her bag as she passes by. She stops and looks around her anxiously as much as her spine will allow. Suddenly, her expression turns to confusion for a moment, as the noise of the traffic, the lights in the shop , and all the people rushing past her, make her wonder where she is and why she’s there, and she doesn’t feel safe and she has nobody to reassure her that all is well. After a while, her face softens again, she nods to herself as she recalls the reason for her outing, then she continues pushing her bag up the street.

If luck is on our side, we might make it into our eighties and find ourselves in similar circumstances to these folks in the examples.

Now look again. The Gentleman with the walking stick, still drops something, but the person he’s with immediately picks it up and helps him put it securely into his bag that she’s carrying for him. He smiles at her and they chuckle together about something or another as he takes her offered arm as they walk. He tells her about how he used to walk this same street with his departed wife and indicates with his stick which coffee shop they’d regularly visit and which pastry was her favourite. She asks him if he’d like to go into that same shop to enjoy a hot drink and he nods slowly, then the very door that you, the reader, is sitting near, jangles it’s bell as they enter. You see his carer gently squeeze his arm in reassurance, because, unknown to anyone else, this is the first time he’s found the courage to go into their special place without his beloved wife. They’re greeted fondly by the shop owner as they find a table, and as they sit and chat, he feels more relaxed and is so very pleased he has such an understanding companion who listens to his stories, makes him feel he’s not completely alone, and he’ll look forward to her next visit which will help to make the long days more bearable.

The lady who’s pushing her bag along, is, this time, wearing a warm coat, hat and gloves. She always wants to push her bag as it makes her feel secure, even though the man with her always offers to help. He walks slowly at her pace, and he points out interesting things in shop windows for her to notice. He asks which item that they’re looking at she prefers, and they chat as they  point through the window. Suddenly, her expression turns to confusion for a moment. The shop lights dazzle her. What are all the people doing? Why are the cars so loud? Which way is she supposed to go and why is she here, outside in this strange place? Where’s her purse? Has someone taken it? Where does she live? She doesn’t know what to do and thinks she’s going to cry. Her carer is constantly and discreetly watching her, so as soon as he sees the fear in her eyes and her soft face begin to crumple, he speaks her name so she looks at him. He looks familiar and is smiling while he talks gently to her. She looks into his eyes as she listens to the soft sound of his voice in amongst the chaos of the high street, and gradually the fog starts to lift from her mind and she smiles back at him. He’s her friend and she feels so happy that he’s right there with her. She remembers his name and is reassured that all is well, as he gently puts his hand over hers on the handle of her bag. She nods and they continue their walk, and her companion points to something in the next window for her to see. She knows she is safe.

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Deciding to become a Care Professional with Home Instead was one of the best decisions I made in a very long time. The team in the office have always been so friendly and helpful, right from the first time I went in for my interview. The days of intense training in the office, and the coursework we were given, really set me up for the practicalities of the job, and gave me the confidence to go out into the community to be introduced to my clients by one of the team or another CP. Nobody is flung out of the door into a unknown scenario. Home Instead has extremely high standards of training for carers as well as insuring the safety and well-being of all their clients. They match the carer with the client to ensure the relationship will be beneficial for the client and that all needs are met, so the client and their families are happy, and they can trust that the carer has the client’s best interest as a priority, and we, the carers, have the reassurance that any time we need advice or have a question, without fail one of the office team with be a phone call away.

I remember all my clients, and have built wonderful relationships with them and their families, which is so heart warming, and really makes me feel appreciated. I know I make a positive difference in the lives of the families I’ve been involved with, and that’s all because of the constant support and ongoing training from the company.

Would you like to make a difference too?”