Care in London, Surrey and Berkshire

Hello I’m Marie McKinley. You will be pleased to know that we provide Live-in Care in London, Surrey and Berkshire. I have been living in Surrey for just over a year and am still discovering places and areas that interest me. Richmond Park is a where I love to go walking, it's very beautiful with lost of wild deer that roam free. Epsom Downs is also lovely, great for walking or sitting reading a book, or eating a picnic. Surrey has a large amount of natural beauty, but you can also easily access a busy town, which is great as I love the diversity.

My Qualifications

I joined Helping Hands in 2005 as a Carer. When I moved into the office, I initially worked in Hourly Care as a Care Manager, before I joined the Live-in Care team in November 2008. In addition to my Degree, I have completed the following training:

• Risk Assessor Level 2 Training
• Dementia Training
• NVQ Level 3 in Health & Social Care

My Experience with Elderly Care

The majority of my experience is in elderly care; I find the Over 65’s age bracket both challenging and rewarding. The types of disability I have worked with in this field range from Spinal Injuries to Acquired Brain Injuries and Dementia.

I’ve dealt with different levels of Dementia over the years; this experience allows me to adapt my working practices to ensure that the level of care I am providing is appropriate and well managed.  In minor cases I work directly with the individual receiving the care; in more severe cases I work with the main decision maker, usually a family member, friend or sometimes a social worker.

My working knowledge has increased tremendously over the years; I think my hands-on experience of being a Carer has certainly helped me become a better Live-in Care Manager. The training I have received from Helping Hands complements my experience. The Dementia training went into real depth and I found it so helpful, I still draw on the information now.

Younger Persons and Respite Care

I use a different management style with my younger customers. The key is really to understand the person as an individual and how the condition affects their way of life. Often with a younger person they want to be their own decision maker and like to be more involved in selecting their own carers as they will have to attend college or university and so it’s important that the carer fits in with their social life. I also find that my younger customers prefer emailing rather than communicating by phone as it is quicker & more convenient for them.

I’m used to dealing with Respite Care, having previously worked with our Hourly Care team where we support the Adult Social Services teams in Worcestershire and Warwickshire. In some cases Respite Care is complex and emotional, as family members are often the main care givers. The positive effects can be massive as the main carer gets a break feeling secure in the knowledge that a professional is taking over,  the customer will often respond well knowing that their loved one is able to step back and rest.

Job satisfaction

This job is satisfying because Live-in Care works! Live-in Care often removes the guilt that families can sometimes feel due to the overwhelming responsibility that is placed on them when caring for a loved one. Sometimes the relationship between the customer and family member has become strained or is at breaking point; time and again I have seen a Live-in Carer lift this pressure, allowing a close family relationship to resume. That’s simply why I love my job, I get to facilitate and watch this happen.
Our customers sometimes need protecting from the more ‘unscrupulous’ people out there. I recently had a case where a builder tried to con an elderly gentleman out of £70,000 for unnecessary building work. Due to our guidelines and training, our Carer called the police and had them check out the building firm which turned out to be bogus. We managed to stop our customer losing a significant amount of money; this reassured the family that we were looking out for all his interests, not just his physical and mental care needs.

Tell us about your Carers

I have a lady who needs to be hoisted 4 times a day; she really doesn’t like this and has panic attacks prior to each hoist, the process makes her feel totally exposed. Our Carer has to be so patient and spends a significant amount of time calming her down, and reassuring her that it will all be ok. The family understand how difficult it can be and applaud the Carer for her patience and compassion. The lady has a level of independence that wouldn’t be possible without a Live-in Carer.

A Bit about me

I am a people person; I’m very sociable, I enjoy spending time with the people I love. I like to be open minded and positive and I’m very interested in alternative complementary therapies. I enjoy listening to music and going to live music venues. I like going for walks, reading and watching films at home or at the cinema.