Over the years, care work has received a lot of negative press and people have developed misconceptions about what is involved when you work as a care assistant.
We caught up with care worker Ida to squash some of these and to hear why she loves her job as a care worker –
Why did you choose to work in care?
I chose to work in care because I wanted a meaningful job full of social interactions. I also have a caring personality so I thought it would suit me well.
People are unaware that care work has many layers, some calls have high physical intensity and some calls are like going to an afternoon tea with the sweetest people, and we like to switch these up to have a variety and get the best out of both.
What misconceptions are there around care work?
I think the biggest misconception is that because of our clients’ circumstances, we deal with sadness and negativity all day. I would say it is the opposite. When someone is not in a good place, they need to learn how to laugh instead of being miserable and our clients know how to be optimistic, cheerful and kind.
What’s the most rewarding part of care work?
The most rewarding part of being a carer is when our clients appreciate and notice the smallest things we do for them. For example, when you remember they eat a type of food with a spoon instead of a fork, or when one of my clients asks for my “wonderful scrambled egg”.
What’s the most challenging part about a job in care?
The hardest part is definitely when we have end-of-life clients, we build a close relationship with them, and we care for them deeply, and in the end we need to let them go.
What would you say to someone thinking about working in care?
I would say to them if they are a bit interested, they should really try it out. If they have no experience in care, then most likely, how they imagine it to be and how it actually it is completely different.
So if you are looking for work, please consider a job in care.
More and more people are choosing to stay in their homes and we need caring people like Ida to support them.
Every day is different and you could change someones life, or at least help them to smile.
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