Jean Hicks, 66, from Solihull is one of many older workers who had struggled to find work after she was forced to retire due to her age. But Jean is leading the way in the fight against unemployment for the older generation after she was successful in finding a new job as a caregiver at the Solihull office of Home Instead Senior Care.
Jean, a great grandmother with two children, six grandchildren and two great grandchildren, enjoyed her previous role where she worked as an administrator for 11 years and was disappointed to lose her fight against retirement in June 2009.
Having never been unemployed Jean was determined to find further employment. She started to apply for other office job vacancies, to no avail.
Whilst Jean had been job hunting she was also looking after her 89 year old mother and enjoyed the tasks she did for her. This was when she saw an ad in the newspaper saying that caregivers were urgently required. Jean immediately applied to Home Instead Senior Care, was offered a role and has never looked back.
Commenting, Jean said “There is great job satisfaction in helping people to continue to live safely and independently in their own homes. My role also takes pressure off immediate family members who are often busy with their own younger family members and work commitments, they know their relation is safe and in trusted hands.”
As well as providing services such as personal care, housekeeping, medication reminders, doctor/hospital appointments, meal preparation and shopping, Jean also provides companionship care. Jean loves taking her clients away from their daily environment and routine, allowing them to see and talk to different people, returning home with something else to think about or discuss with their family.
Tracey Ferreria, who owns and runs the Solihull office, said “Mature workers, like Jean, have the benefit of long experience and enhanced life skills, which is a great bonus for employers and of course, for users of the Home Instead service.”
The older population is growing at a rapid rate and an increasing number of people over the retirement age want to remain at work. Home Instead employs people from a wide age range with many different backgrounds, the most important thing is that they have a caring nature.
Whilst Home Instead’s principal services involve the day-to-day care of older people in their own homes they also provide a range of specialist services, which include Alzheimer’s and dementia care, convalescence care and respite care.
For more information or to contact the Solihull office of Home Instead Senior Care call the team on 01564 784598 or visit www.homeinstead.co.uk.
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