Rachel says that a role as a caregiver is an amazing job for anyone who is kind, caring and patient.
Rachel always looked up to her mum, who was a carer for 25 years, so when she turned 18 it was no surprise that she followed her mother’s footsteps and became a caregiver herself.
Rachel remembers, “I worked for a few care agencies, the ones that only provide 30 to 45 minutes quick visits, until my grandfather became ill with cancer. I then gave up my job to help mum care for her father. Seeing him deteriorate was a scary experience, so much so that I left the caring profession for a while and took an office job instead.”
Rachel has a kind and caring nature and wanted to reignite her career as a Care Professional, so in September 2021 she joined Home Instead, but prior to this decision she’d gone through a major health challenge herself.
Rachel says, “my determination to recover from a heart attack and several strokes, made me want to help others who’d been through a similar experience.”
Seven years ago, Rachel became critically ill with a virus that caused a heart attack and several mini strokes. When she lost her voice, she decided to leave her office job to concentrate on her recovery.
Rachel said, “It took me six months to learn to talk again. Mum was determined I’d get my voice back and she encouraged me to read the paper out loud every day. She even phoned me, so that I could read to her!”
The support and encouragement from her mum and her own grit and determination to be able to speak again, inspired Rachel to want to help others who were facing similar life challenges. That’s when she applied to join Home Instead.
“I was very nervous at the interview,” Rachel remembers, “but I got the job and haven’t looked back. I absolutely love my role as a Care Professional with Home Instead.”
Rachel visits four, sometimes five, clients during her working week.
“Quite a few of my clients have dementia. They may not remember what they did yesterday but when you get them talking, they’ve lots of wonderful stories to tell about their past. I’ve learnt so much from them and it’s changed my outlook on life,” said Rachel.
Home Instead’s focus is on providing companionship led care, which is why visits are a minimum of two hours, and this gives Rachel time to sit and listen and chat to her clients.
Rachel said, “It’s a two-way thing, giving space for them to reminisce. It lifts them. Many people don’t have company. The extended visits give us time to get to know each other and my clients time to choose what they want to do. If I can make them smile or laugh during the visit, I’m doing my job. It’s hugely satisfying and rewarding.”
Before a Care Professional is assigned to a client, Home Instead go through a detailed matching process, which designed to ensure that the Care Professional enjoy their time together and relationships are given the opportunity to flourish.
Training and support boosted Rachel’s confidence as she returned to a profession she loved.
The knowledge gained through Home Instead’s award winning training and support from the friendly team, gave Rachel the confidence she needed to carry out her role as a Care Professional.
“After the initial training and several visits supported by one of the experienced Care Professionals, I felt confident to visit clients on my own,” said Rachel. “Since then, I’ve completed a 6-week City and Guilds Dementia course, which was really interesting. Next will be the Parkinsons’s course, which will further my knowledge and understanding of how to support my clients.”
Rachel’s advice to anyone considering a role as a caregiver is that it’s an amazing job for anyone who is kind, caring and patient. She’d love to see more younger people get involved, especially with Home Instead, as the training is brilliant, and the team are awesome and fun.
We hope Rachel’s story has inspired you to consider joining Home Instead as a Care Professional. You probably have questions and we’re here to answer them, so give us a call on 01737 529793.