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Felicity’s live-in care experience

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Felicity's live-in care experience

Meet Felicity, who’s been a Helping Hands Live-In Carer since 2014. She loves looking after her customer Sharon, who lives with Cerebral Palsy and Asperger’s syndrome. They’ve been a team for four months now. Here, Felicity shares her experiences as a Carer and discusses what she really loves about her job.

“I started out as a Carer nine years ago in a nursing home in Australia. I thought the job would be a ‘stepping stone’ to becoming a nurse. However, I enjoyed the role so much that upon completion of my nursing training I chose to continue caring and moved abroad. Live-In care is very different to residential care but it has far more pros than cons. Being able to work autonomously is one of the biggest upsides for me.

I support Sharon, who’s recently moved into her new home. When I first came to care for her, she was still getting used to her new lifestyle. Sharon was very much excited and happy with the change, but learning to adjust to her new way of life was quite a challenge.

I love that this job allows time to really get to know and connect with my customer, and I believe Sharon and I had an instant rapport. Our relationship has strengthened tremendously over the past six months. Sharon loves to get out and about. I support her to continue to attend Day Services twice a week – this was something she loved to do before she moved and is especially important to her.

There’s so much that Sharon enjoys, and her motability vehicle really helps her to be independent and do the things she enjoys the most. We visit Sharon’s family; go shopping; and go on trips to the castle grounds. Debbie, Sharon’s sister, often joins us. I’ve really noticed Sharon becoming less withdrawn and more interested in getting out and enjoying life – and her overall mood has improved no end.

Sharon and I may not be of similar age, but we have lots in common! We both love music, and although our tastes vary there are many musicians we enjoy listening to together – 70’s pop in particular. We share a very similar sense of humour, and we spend most of our days together laughing. One of our favourite TV shows is The Royle Family.

My advice to new private carers would be to stick at it. In the beginning it can all seem extremely daunting. There’s lots of responsibility, new challenges, and it certainly is hard work. But the rewards are endless and the job satisfaction you achieve is of the utmost height. If I could sum up my experience as a Live-In Carer in three words, they would be enjoyment, laughter, and fulfilment.”

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