Tell us about your work

kerry4sam

Would someone be so kind as to educate me and others reading in here

~ About the good work you do as a Carer?
~ What is it that you enjoy most about your duties?
~ Anything else you would like to share?

I am not a carer myself but would like to know more if someone would like to share their own personal experiences

Thanks in advance,
kerry4sam

looksee

A Carer can mean a number of things. It could be someone who works professionally going to elderly people two or three times a day helping them dress, take medication, organising meals, get ready for bed etc. Or someone who works continuously with an individual who needs help on an ongoing basis for their daily life.

It can be a situation where someone is responsible for assisting a member of the family or a neighbour, that could be anything from total full time care in all aspects of their life, or 'keeping an eye' on someone and helping where necessary, or anywhere in between.

I am somewhere in the middle of that last description, with a person with a long term illness that causes incapacity, and who needs someone to keep things ticking over.

It can be quite stressful regardless of where you fit into the above description, either you are dashing around from one client to the next trying to be personally involved and remember their preferences and needs while being friendly and supportive. Or you are living with a person who depends on you and all the restrictions that implies. I am not trying to sound negative there, just expressing the point of view of the carer.

I am sure that as people find and contribute to this forum we will all learn something about how other people cope and what is involved in Caring.

kerry4sam

Thanks for that insight Looksee. Although it would undoubtedly be challenging, I would imagine it to be rewarding too though personally. Just knowing the difference you would be making to someones life. When people who once may have been able to look after themselves to needing a carer can be quite difficult to take on board in a number of ways. The importance of a carer is crucial and the support and kindness a carer provides is simply wonderful!

I would know of some duties and responsibilities of carers from family members, but I would like to read more from people on here also. Every person would be unique and not everyone would be able to view every scenario the same. That's a great bonus for this here forum.

I am looking forward to this forum getting more established in time; growing in opinions; experience shared; support you all share for each other and the general positivity and love that is involved with being a carer.

Thanks again for sharing the above Looksee & I look forward to reading from more people also

Knine

Ok I could not post annon for some reason so here goes.

I care for a family member (under 18) full time.

It is 24/7 caring. Even when the person is in school etc you are always on call as such.

You cannot plan anything as often the person being cared for has poor health and this means when you make plans for the time they are in school, this can suddenly change if they are at home sick.

You are like a secretary. The postman brings an abundance of letters and reports/appointments. You need a large diary to keep note.

Sometimes you have several appointments on the one day. These can be for Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Therapy, Consultants, GP's, Physio, eyes, ears etc. There is no end to them.

There is a seldom a day off to have for yourself. Those days off usually mean replying to letters, cleaning the house, ordering supplies, queuing up in the GP's for prescriptions.

You learn how to eat food very fast and have to resist getting caught up in eating junk food for a quick fix as your day can be very demanding. Taking your eyes off the person being cared for is not an option due to health and safety issues. You live a very stressful life but often don't get the time to actully feel lonely.

You get to know the doctors and nurses in the hospital you attend on a first name basis as you go there that often.

When you leave the house to go out with the person being cared for, you say little prayers to yourself that you can find a disabled space to make it easier to get the disabled person out of the car. You had to say goodbye to your nice sporty car and now have a big tank to accomodate wheelchairs, changing bag (large) and other bits and pieces. You glare at any cars who are parked in these spots without permits. The clampers become your best friends.:D

You dread budget day more then most as you are unable to work due to the demands of your caring role and there are no ways to supplement your income. Bascially you are the only people on SW who have to work for your money. Caring is expensive, everything goes up in price when disability is mentioned.

You develop a sense of humour. You have to, to survive the day! Trips to the cinema, meals out and a social life are a distant memory. You can't just hand a person with a disability to anyone to mind.

You worry a lot, as in who will mind the person being cared for if you should get sick or worse.

On the positive front, you meet some amazing people in your caring role, people who I now consider very good friends. You learn who are your real friends as they stick around and visit you as you have very little, if any free time for friendships. You take very little for granted. Every little milestone the person being cared for makes, is like a miracle. I don't know any other role where miracles are performed every day.

looksee

Mod: Hi Knine, it should be possible for you to post anon, could you respond in the Anon posting thread and say what the problem was, thanks.

Sar_Bear

Hi everyone what a great forum!

I work in a hostel for homeless woman, and previously worked in a nursing home. Love both of them, even though they are so different!

TommieBoy

I've been a live-in carer of a terribly unhappy elderly person for 5 months.
I never would've guessed it would be so difficult.

janmaree

TommieBoy wrote: »

I've been a live-in carer of a terribly unhappy elderly person for 5 months.
I never would've guessed it would be so difficult.

So have I but for 5.5 years. It changes you.

madmaggie

Hi, I've just come across this forum. This is great, carers can be so isolated, this is a chance to share experiences and discuss problems. I care for an elderly relative, he lives in my home. People say to me, ' he doesn't need you all the time, he's so well'. Doh!! He's so well because I'm there all the time. You're nurse, secretary, driver, nutritionist, pharmacist, banker, cook and cleaner 24/7. You've got to be there to hold the hand when they're scared, with no-one to hold yours. So yeah, that €204 a week is real easy money.

fergal.b

Hi all I'm a full time carer for my son who has quadriplegic cerebral palsy and my wife who has MS. My son was born at 27 weeks and after 3 months in hospital the sings of MS started to show, they say it was brought on by the stress and strain of it all. 11 years on and 16 operations between the two of them "sometimes at the same time in different hospitals":eek: we still plod along well I plod they have wheelchairs We also have a teenage daughter with aspergers "if I can still call it that" she has been with us on and off since she was 3 months old as her parents had a problem with the bottle, when her mum passed away 4 years ago we started court proceedings for full custody and won:) as her dad didn't even show up. She is a great girl and I love her to bits but sometimes a teenage girl with aspergers can be more trying than the other two put together she is very high functioning and about as helpful as a wet sock her day is a set out routine in her mind that she hates upsetting NOT a good way to be in this house as nothing goes to plan and its all my fault :rolleyes: one of her routines is to give me a hug before she goes to bed so all days end well no matter what happens during them
For my therapy I build boats out of scrap in the back garden or help out others in the sailing & boating forums I think its important to have a little escape to take your mind off things even if its just half an hour sanding a bit of wood it gives me a purpose in life besides being a carer.
All in all life is not that bad my wife still has a brilliant mind my son has a smile that could charm the world and I get a hug every night, but if one more person tells me that God gives those with the strongest back the heaviest cross to carry I might just have to clock them one
Sorry about the long post "not like me" but my son is in restbite "maybe for the last time as the centre is not doing it any more "cutbacks" my daughter is with her grandparents and my wife has a friend over so I'm just sitting here with a bottle of red not knowing what to with myself, strange feeling

looksee

Everyone's cares are their own and I know you should not compare situations, but, lord, you have some patience.

I cared for a sick baby until he died and I really wanted to hit the people who said, with the best intentions, 'you have a little angel in heaven now'.

Now I am a carer to my husband in stage 4 COPD, but it does not require the 'hands on' care that you must have to cope with.

Enjoy your bottle of red and good luck!

madmaggie

Fergal.b, I don't know how you do it. I find caring for one person maddening enough at times. I so agree about having an escape, I take the dog out everyday, that half hour or so on my own just clears the head, espeically if I 'forget' my mobile, but then feel guilty for doing that. This forum is going to do so much good for so many people. Is anyone involved with the Carers Association? I did a course with them, 2 hours a week, but it was great to share experiences with others while learning some useful stuff.