Today I had a chat with another live in carer who was just - well down in the dumps. It's going to happen in our job. We are largely isolated in so many ways (Helping Hands is working on top secret plans to improve tihs - and lets say its working!) - But it is going to happen.

And if you are fresh in from another country, its going to be worse. You will hit the 2 months, 6 month and one year blues. See 'em through and they will pass. Let your manager know how you are feeling. Keep yourself busy. Sign up for a yoga class during your 2 hour break. Eat a lot of chocolate and get OUT OF THE HOUSE when you have breaks. Change of scenery is good.

If you are reading this BEFORE you do your training...when you go on training...make friends, get telephone numbers, emails, facebook details and keep in contact. I am STILL in contact every single day with one of my friends from the course. It will see you through.

If things get really bad and you are not coping, instead of waiting for things to crack, call your manager...talk... and if your manager is not there, talk to one of the other office staff. You are important - and talking and having a sympathetic ear really does help.

Have a great day!

"We're all going on a summer holiday (Well I’m going...)
no more working for a week or two. (Ten days to be exact...)
Fun and laughter on our summer holiday, (Oh so definitely)
no more worries for me or you, (Its going to be oh so very carefree)
for a week or two. (Ten days to be exact)

We're going where the sun shines brightly (if the rain would stop soon)
we're going where the sea is blue. (is there sea in Essex?)
we've all seen it on the movies, (erm...not sure I saw Essex in the movies)
now let's see if it's true. (Its true, I’m going...and soon)"

Since my service user loves Cliff Richard (Kelly my manager can tell you, she listened to the CD over and over again when she was here) this song has been playing – because as I said in my previous post...I’m going on holiday for ten days!

I am EVER so excited!　 About two months into my assignment I booked leave and cancelled it.　 I was really worried about leaving my Service User.　 My manager and I discussed it one day when she was here, and she told me I need to take my holiday.　 I almost cancelled this one.　 But then, about a month ago something happened.　 I got tired.　 So this holiday feels like it has been a long time coming.　 I will have been working in this position for 4 ½ months without a break when I go on holiday.　 I love it...but I am tired.

Its not the hours, I personally have great hours.　 What we do is emotionally intense.　 We give up our lives for a while, and live them through someone else’s’ life.　 And everyone needs the ability to just...well be themselves again.　 Let your hair down, and not worry about Mrs Smith.　 Its good for you, and its good for your service user.

What we do is so important and makes a difference, but there is a reason that carers are told to take regular breaks.　 Because, we place pause on our lives, and live it so that someone else can enjoy a better life – and yes we get paid well for it, but its harder for us, because the people we care for, although we care and have compassion for them, well – they are not our mother, father, or child.　 So its different.　 Its harder at times and its more intense.　

So – don’t feel guilty about taking a holiday...in fact – you NEED your holidays.　 You time.

Am I going anywhere exciting?　 I think so.　 I’m going to my partner in Essex (yeah I know – its NOT some tropical location where I can sip cocktails as gorgeous men serve me...) but – it is a place where I can just be me.　 All me.　 I can’t wait.

Have a fab day....　 Ursula

Hello everyone,

I’m so sorry this has taken so long. The truth is that things have been a bit hectic on all fronts, and I’ve had a bit of the dreaded writers block.　 But..since I looked at the calendar and saw that I have been with my service user for four months today, I just had to write.

What a four months it has been. We have gone 5 steps forward, 3 steps back, 1 step forward, two steps back...and so forth but slowly we are making progress.　My manager Kelly Buckley has been a tremendous support and has visited me FOUR times in those four months, attending meetings with me and making sure I have the support I need.　Thank you Kelly.

Helping Hands has been fab, sending me my birthday cards as they got them and not waiting for pay day! Thanks Sue at the office! They made my day.

All in all, with the massive amounts of support....its been great. Also, a few of us bloggers and carers and office staff have been playing around with something very exciting that I think everyone is going to love when it goes live. I already love it and NO WAY are they taking it away from me!　 Already a whole heap of us are loving it and gaining a whole lot of support (and laughs) from it....what is it....well you will have to wait and see! Lets just say...its taking Mrs Smith some time to get used to it.　

Next week I’m going on holiday...the count down is here...and as usual I’m super busy – because there is heaps to do before my replacement for the week arrives.　 Lists to make, I’ve decided its spring cleaning time – even down to washing the curtains!　Every inch of this house is getting scrubbed, whilst making a user manual so that my service user can keep to her routine and the new carer can hopefully slot in really easily.　

On top of all of that we have had doctor’s appointments, podiatry, speech and hearing therapy, social services reviews - all new things for my service user.　Hopefully this will improve things for her!　And on top of that, in the evenings I have been studying for two social care qualifications via external colleges...and I am determined to send my final examination and assignment in before I go on holiday next week.　

So, here’s raising a (non alcoholic) toast to four whole months of being a live in carer for helping hands and loving it!

Have a fab day

Ursula

You see things; and you say 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say 'Why not?'

I am, completely and totally a quotes girl. And I completely love this quote because it says so much about why so many of our service users go into full time, live in care. And we get to help them with that.

You know, many of our service users could have gone into care homes, and were probably pushed to either stay with family, or move into care homes. We help them do things that never would be a possibility without us. Going out, seeing people, doing things becomes a reality with us. Think about it, without me, my service user can never leave the house or even prepare a basic meal. Just those two simple things I support her with, gives her independence and a life worth living.

Right now we are booking her holiday, which I will go with her, and every day she will be able to swim and shop and walk around, and sight see...Why? Because everybody deserves a holiday. And the truth is, why not?

Five good reasons to do what I do...

1. What you do really does make a difference. Every single day, every coffee you make, every smile and hug you give, it makes a difference. When what you do enables someone to maintain their independence, something they could never do on their own, you change someone’s life for the better It’s worth it.

2. You get to meet diverse, great people. As a carer you get to meet, and care for a vast variety of people. People of different abilities, ages, nationalities, cultures, and religions. If you are an inclusive person who celebrates differences, caring opens up great opportunities to learn.

3. You get to learn continually. Not only do you go through an intensive initial training and ongoing distance learning from Helping Hands, but you get to learn from your clients. You learn to communicate with a massive variety of people. If you are the type of person that is open to learning from others on a constant basis, caring is for you.

4. No day is the same. You don’t go into an office, turn on a computer screen, and do the same twenty things you do every day, and then go home. Some people thrive on that. But, some of us thrive on doing something that we love, and then it’s not work. Things get thrown at you constantly, and every day really is different.

5. You live a life that you love living. Here’s the thing, the very best carers are those people who are passionate about making a difference. They love their jobs, because if they had the choice, they would say, they are doing exactly what they love doing best. If you are the kind of person that can keep positive no matter what, who is motivated by changing peoples lives, then you are the kind of person who would make a great carer. It’s not sophisticated, it’s not glamorous, it is challenging, but what you do changes lives.