Each day in the life of a Care Professional is different and will bring new challenges and rewards. Hopefully the following account will give you an insight!
At 8.15am, I arrive at my first client of the day, Mrs S, who is an early bird and likes to be up early. She likes me to use the key safe to go in, calling out as I enter so she knows it’s me. Mrs S is always awake when I arrive and is often enjoying her first cup of tea after making her own breakfast in the kitchen. After logging in on the App on my phone, and then following our Infection Control procedures, we spend some time catching up on last night’s episode of the recent television series we are both watching!
Mrs S decides to have a shower this morning so together we go through to the bathroom, and after a while we both emerge a little damp after a slight miss direction of the shower head! Mrs S was going to the Jubilee Centre, St Albans Community Centre for lunch today with her friend and neighbour so I helped her get dressed to impress with her outfit, matching shoes, and lipstick.
Mrs S then goes through to her living room and I spend some time tidying her bedroom and bathroom, before making sure she has a cup of tea and her newspaper, before writing up my notes and then wishing Mrs S a great day, and letting her know I will see her tomorrow.
Just round the corner is my next client J. I arrive at the same time as my colleague Matt and after knocking on the door J’s wife lets us in. J uses a hoist to transfer so there is two Care Professionals needed to safely use the equipment. J is still in bed so after logging in on the App on my phone, and following our Infection Control procedures we both go through to his downstairs bedroom. J’s verbal speech isn’t great in the morning, but we still manage to have some great chats, a smile and a thumbs up can go a long way. This morning J is having a visit from the district nurses so after helping him have a wash and get dressed, J stays in bed to have his breakfast. Matt supports him with his breakfast whilst I pop the laundry on. J’s wife then joins us, bringing us all in a welcome cup of coffee.
Then I drive to Mrs B’s. Mrs B open the door to me as I park on her drive and at first looks a little a little suspicious as to who I am, but once I show her my ID badge and she checks the photos on the wall inside her front door, she remembers I am one of her ‘girls’! Mrs B has been diagnosed with Dementia so occasionally forgets who I am, so the office had our photos printed and laminated and they are on the wall so that Mrs B can be reassured. Today is Memory café day which is held at St Marys church in Marshalswick and is actually run by our director Fiona Harrall. Mrs B loves the memory café, and also the fish and chips we pick up afterwards for lunch! After a lovely couple of hours at the café, we arrive home with our fish and chips and enjoy them together, looking over Mrs B’s garden with a well deserved cup of tea. As I leave Mrs B is settled in her armchair ready for a snooze.
My last visit of the day is to cover one of our Live in care pros so they can go on their break. Mr D gets a little anxious if he is on his own too long so I go and spend a couple of hours with him so that he has company while his live in has her break. After logging in and wash my hands, I have a quick handover and find that they have just come back in from Herts Musical Memories singing session. Mr D and I then settle down to some serious puzzle completion. We have been working on a large puzzle of St Albans Cathedral for some time and today we finally finish it. We celebrate with tea and cake. Mr D then needs the bathroom and I help him with this and changing his clothes. After his busy morning Mr D sits down to watch his favourite old movie on the television, and I make myself useful by doing some ironing until the live in Care professional returns to take over and I say my goodbyes and head home.
If you want to find out about the benefits of home care in St Albans, Harpenden, Radlett and the surrounding villages, please click on the link below or call us on 01727 895941.