Common Sense comes from Experience.

With training and shadowing out of the way I was unleashed on society last Wednesday! Thankfully the first day was more of the same - we do a lot of 'double up' calls that require two carers per person simply because you need an extra pair of hands. Moving someone - even using a hoist - from a bed to a wheelchair may sound easy enough but add to that a few catheter tubes or an arm or leg that refuses to go where its owner wants it to and you'll start to appreciate the need for two people.

The other plus side for me was the fact that that extra pair of hands knew exactly what we had to do! Whilst I'm happy to do what I'm told to do I'm very much in the dark about exactly how much of it should be done - and on what order.

People have told me it's all about common sense but I'm starting to realise you're not actually born with that - you learn from experience. I mean a toddler only learns that the fire is hot by touching it - right?

My first afternoon out on my own was a 'tea run'. Getting from house to house and doing what was required was challenging enough within the time but add to that a foot of snow and minus 5 temperatures (God bless you Mother Nature) and my stress level was fairly high! And that was before I met The Key Safe.

Now this is a classic case of common sense not being enough on its own. I opened the first without difficulty BUT when it came to locking it back up again I was at a loss as to how to do it. It was unlike the other three I've seen in my lifetime and try as I might I couldn't get the latch to drop and the box to shut! I phoned one of the others who tried her best to get me to understand. To cut a very long - and very cold - story short being the absolute hero that she was she came up and helped me do it 20 minutes later. By that stage I was late and freezing!

The next morning I was nervously on schedule until I arrived at one client's house to find her in bed feeling very unwell. Again common sense was needed but so was experience. I knew enough to phone a doctor and stay with her but after that I was at a complete loss. Did I give her her medication even though she was ill or did I leave her in bed and wait for the doctor to decide? Did I get someone else to continue my shift or get someone in to sit with her? OR did I just pat her on the hand and tell her The Doctor was coming? My mobile was red hot by the time I left her in the (more capable hands) of a neighbour and set out to complete my other six calls - all due before 11am.

So am I enjoying my new career? You bet I am! When it goes well it's one of the most rewarding jobs I've ever had the pleasure to do. When it goes wrong I remind myself that in a month's time I'm going to look back and laugh ... aren't I?!

In the Shadows

I'm away! So excited to finally have donned the uniform and got out there meeting the people I'm going to be helping. Technically speaking they are the 'service users' but they're all just lovely people.

So I had to 'shadow' another carer for 16 hours minimum so they can see that I'm OK interacting with people and am going to give a good standard of care. It may sound straight forward but believe me these are people's lives I'm playing with. One mistake may be more than stupid. I've asked to do a couple more days before I go it alone - just so I'm sure I know exactly where I have to be and what I have to do. You'd be amazed how much you have to cram into half an hour ( I struggle to get myself out of bed in that time let alone someone else!)

My main role is day to day care. That varies from person to person. Some need help to get dressed, go to the toilet, shower or make a cup of tea. Others just need checking up on once or twice a day - imagine if you had no family and you were the other side of 80? You'd want to know someone was out there wouldn't you?

Most people that ask me about this job are obsessed with toilet talk! Yes I have to deal with all that stuff but trust me when I tell you that it doesn't bother me in the slightest - nor does it bother anyone else in this job. Let's face it - if you were afraid of heights you would have a job tiling roofs would you?!

My one real surprise is how quickly people have accepted me. And just how quickly they've all become a part of my life. I went to bed last night wondering how a couple of them would be this morning - and thinking about how I could position a clock for another to make their life easier. You could say I'm absolutely hooked.

As jobs go I think I've chosen something else that's going to be a way of life not just a job. Right now that's a life I'm happy to have.

Not Long Now!

I've been waiting over four weeks for my Criminal Record thing to come back. Perhaps it got sent off late with everything else but isn't it always the way that I am the one in a million that went wrong in the system?!

Anyway work went online and submitted another one - and it came back within 24 hours. Why they don't do that in the first place I have no idea ...

So now I'm the (actually in all honestly) proud owner of a uniform, a few boxes of gloves and aprons, hand sanitiser and a clever little nurse's watch that clips on my collar and reads upside down. It's like playing Drs and Nurses when you were small (only I never did) only this is for real.

So many people are trying to put a downer on it I'm getting fed up of defending my decision. This is my life after all. Actually anyone with a negative opinion has never actually done the job so that's interesting...

Tomorrow I have three important writing commissions to finish - and a pony to muck out. And my dogs will no doubt want to go for a bit of a run (or swim) - and then I need to swat like a good little student so I remember what to do. There's stuff on dementia, diabetes, continence, care plans, lifting and handling, mobility, first aid - which is totally different to how it was back in 1980 by the way - lucky I haven't tried to do my version of CPR for a while! With so much to think about the big question is can I put it all into immediate practice? We'll know in 48 hours time. I'm off to go 'shadowing' with a senior carer - Jill. I'll bet she's dreading having to drag me out with her but I'm so looking forward to being able to see how things work.

My biggest worry is walking in to a complete stranger's home on my own with no idea what they expect me to do. I'm not that shy though so I'm sure this time next week I'll be buzzing. I'm thinking back to when I first taught a riding class lesson - aged 17. My boss just told me to remember that the class didn't know I hadn't done it before so to just get on with it. She was right of course and whenever I have a wobble it's what I'll hold onto.

Funny really how two jobs can be so different but bits of the training are relevant to both.

Not Just Cups of Tea

So many people said to me it would all be down to common sense and making cups of tea that I went into training without really thinking about what to expect. Stupid as it now sounds I hadn't really thought about what it would involve. Even more stupid when you think there were FIVE full days to do!

So the first day was all about induction to the service. What the company expected - what we should expect in return and all about Care Plans and work schedules. We also had to read and sign work contracts. It amazed me how many people didn't actually read the contract in spite of the fact that Ray said it at least three times. So when I asked the girl sitting opposite if she'd seen the bit about working over Christmas many others jumped up in arms about having to work Christmas Eve/Day or at New Year. Seriously - what did they expect?!

I've worked with horses all my life so I have no idea what it must be like NOT to work over Bank Holidays or Christmas periods. Horses don't appreciate the fact that friends and family want to see me. They just look at it as another day. Which is exactly what it is in our house. Although we do our best to accommodate the festivities it really doesn't bother us if we have to go out to feed horses or cattle first thing. In fact it's quite nice to have a shortened day and return to a huge Christmas dinner halfway through a day.

Now don't get me wrong I do understand that it is different when you have children. Or relatives that need your care but what I struggle to get my head round is the fact that some people seemed unable to even consider the fact they could compromise! Ray was desperately trying to make them understand that if they offered to do as many of the other days as they could The Office would happily accommodate their festive needs. I think he got his point across in the end.

Days like these have just brought home to me that I am a good person for this industry. I have very few demands on what I do - other than the fact I want to enjoy it and I do like my own space. By that I don't mean I can't work with people, I just mean I couldn't stick being in an enclosed environment with the same people for hours at a time. By the end of five days I was ready for a break. Having been on my own for years it wasn't easy juggling so many personalities and egos for prolonged periods! Testing would be a good word to use.

As Day One finished it was clear to me though that the job wasn't about working with other people. It was all about caring for other people - and to do that I was actually going to have to learn some things! Which - it suddenly dawned on me - was what this training was all about. It was time to sit up and listen.

It's Not About Me!

So as the course continued people's personalities came to the fore. Some were louder than others and surprisingly aggressive in their approach towards others. I had thought this was the type of career that would attract more tolerant people but I was definitely mistaken!

On the second day we were discussing continence and catheters - obviously that involved talking about personal care and male and female 'bits'. Whilst I expected the odd laugh and a joke - how else can you cope with this sort of thing? - I was shocked at the disgust registered by some of the girls. Didn't they realise it was part of the job description?

I happened to mention that dealing with a male client's genitals wouldn't bother me - I'd be far more squeamish about clearing up after someone had been sick - and was subjected to a torrent of abuse from one of our so called trainee carers! I'm not going to go into detail but safe to say I kept my mouth shut and let it go despite the fact she prattled on for five minutes muttering derogatory comments under her breath.

At the time I was so taken aback by her reaction to a comment that wasn't even directed at her that I hadn't even thought about retaliating. In hindsight I'm very glad I didn't. After all surely that sort of behaviour isn't what this type of industry is looking for?

Surprisingly her outburst was ignored by our training guy and I started to worry that perhaps I had said something out of turn to provoke her. Only later as we filed out to make coffee did I appreciate from everyone else's comments to me that I was far from in the wrong. Good to know anyway.

The next day she did something similar to another girl so I felt satisfied that it hadn't been what I'd said, it was her problem not mine.

My whole point about this was that when it came down to it - whether we liked it or not - we were all heading out into the homes of vulnerable people who were probably as uncomfortable (if not more) as we were about having their bodies manhandled by a total stranger. Whilst some were saying they absolutely couldn't do it, others they'd be sick at the sight of it etc. I couldn't help but think that the poor person in the bed would feel far more uncomfortable if we were to make our feelings known.

A friend of a friend had a colostomy bag fitted only to have a district nurse come in to change it who announced that "This is the worst job in the world - I hate it - I can't stand the smell!" I'm going to hold onto that thought when I go about my business in months to come. I can't imagine how uncomfortable and humiliated that poor woman was made to feel. It's something I'm determined not to do to anyone I visit.

Ray, our trainer, made a good point. He said to treat everyone as you would want your own mum or dad to be cared for. That's another thought I'm going to hang on to.

Basically, put simply, it's just not about me.

Common Sense? A little bit of knowledge always helps!

The training is well under way as I write this and despite early reservations I'm thoroughly enjoying it. My worries weren't about not wanting to do the job - more about whether I'd be able to learn quickly enough to get out there and do it. My initial worries have been thrown to one side by some really friendly and supportive people on the course and by listening to the conversations around me.

Many of the others have worked in the industry prior to joining this company. One has even come back which is encouraging. (Think I may have said that) They all have stories to tell but it's the genuine feelings they have towards the people in their care that encourages me to feel that I'm on the right track.

It's a strange feeling to go in as a complete novice to something. Over the years I've done so much and really established myself in the equestrian industry yet in the care service I know nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Many people I've spoken to assure me that common sense will prevail - and I'm quite sure they're right. The only thing that is worth saying at this stage is that although common sense is something I have tonnes of a little bit of knowledge really does help. Here's a classic example.

Ray, our trainer, mentioned a case scenario he was given in the past.  The service user was an elderly lady with dementia. She's distressed and wants to go home - even though she is actually at home. Ray was asked what he'd do. My first reaction (for which I was feeling quite noble and proud!) was to sit her down and reassure her. Be patient, be understanding and kind, I thought - the top requirements of the job. And here's where experienced common sense kicks in! My answer isn't wrong but it wouldn't have an immediate affect on the service user. Ray's answer - help her get her coat on and take her out to go 'home'. Why?

Anyone with dementia can't help their feelings but they do have limited memory. By taking her out of the door and allowing her to relax because she was doing what she wanted to do he immediately took away the stress of the situation. So much better for everyone concerned.

Then he took the lady round the building once and returned home. By this time, you see, she's forgotten. So although perhaps my answer wasn't exactly wrong it wasn't immediate. I'm in awe of the simplicity of his answer - and it has inspired me to learn as much as I can over the next few days.

So more on that tomorrow.

First Impressions

The first day of the course did surprise me. Not least by the sheer size of this company. I don't know what I expected but I had in my head a smallish company that catered for Great Ayton, Stokesley and Northallerton. How wrong can you be?!

This is one enormous company - currently employers of 1700 staff.They cover most of the North too - so much for a little local firm. I suppose I was surprised because I was offered the job so quickly. Underneath my positive exterior I think I was secretly expecting a 'mickey mouse firm' that was going to have hundreds of catches and loads of small print. As it is I feel that I've really landed on my feet.

There is a bit of security in a company this size. Clearly they know what they're doing - bring on the training :) The speed they're expanding each year makes me feel safe about my job prospects too. The guy that's taking the training has been promoted four times in as many years which just shows I can get as much out of it as I care to put in. Which - just so we're clear on this - is quite a lot. Should I mention that Ray, the guy in question, has also had a heart attack in that time too?! Perhaps not ...

The other thing that really stood out was the people - all women and all ages. Apparently there's usually a token male in the mix but not this time. One overriding factor though is personality. All strong. Very. Actually when I think about it it's hardly surprising, is it? We all need to be self motivated, tough enough to cope with accidents and emergencies if they happen and obviously we have to cope with personal hygiene things that many people would steer clear of.

But despite the strong personalities there's a genuine desire to be kind to 'service users'. (They were The Elderly before I started training) Most of the people have done some form of caring before. I feel a bit of a novice in comparison. They have some horror stories to tell too - most about care homes - which makes me glad I've chosen a 'care in the home' type of company.

When I say horror I'm not talking about cruelty. More 'horror' from the nurse's perspective. Lack of time, too many residents to staff that sort of thing. Which is why they've all turned up on this course. That's another positive too - these are women who have been out and done it already and yet they've chosen this company. It gives me hope that I've made a good decision and not just jumped in feet first in desperation.

One final thing on first impressions was how happy everyone was. Apparently the office is chaos and non stop yet whenever I see someone they smile and take time out to see if I'm enjoying my course. The others on the course are happy to chat about it all too. I have so many questions I want to ask! Not that I can't do anything - I just want to know how to do things the right way.

I don't doubt that there will be problems. I'm sure not everyone will be as cheerful every time I see them but it's a good start - a great start actually. I feel more positive than I did before I started - in fact 100% sure that I'm doing the right thing. I'm genuinely excited about the future and itching to get on with it. How many people can say that about their job I wonder?

A Fresh Start

With the loss of my boss's last horse I found myself in an unusual position of being without a job - aged 42 - and not wanting to continue in my lifelong career of horses. Although I'm now fairly well established as a writer of equestrian articles it's not something that will pay the bills in the long term.

A chance advert on our local butchers ignited the spark for my next choice of profession. The advert was for a carer to help with the daily home care of an elderly lady.
"Now that I can do," I thought.
The more I thought about it the more I realised I actually wanted to do it. And the more I realised I'd actually be quite good at it too.

Working with horses has taught me many things about myself.

1. I have endless patience with people and animals.
2. I value quality of life over money and material things
3. I've learnt self respect comes from being your own person - not from what you own
4. I'm good at working for people - I'm not a doormat but I'm happy to provide customer care with a smile on my face - I enjoy it.
5. I'm driven and self motivated.
6. I like my space but am always willing to help anyone
7. I listen 
8. I'm not squeamish and am happy to get my hands dirty
9. I can bite my tongue!
10. Tact is my middle name :)

The job in question had long gone but I followed up a few leads and found myself on the JobCentrePlus website. There I typed in 'no experience' 'no qualifications' and came up with a list of about 30 jobs all in the caring profession. Scrolling through I found a few that were within a 20 mile drive. I bookmarked a care home in Redcar - they were willing to train anyone who was willing to start asap. And then I struck gold!

The very next advert was for a care in the home company that was actively looking for people in the Great Ayton area. No experience was necessary and they were offering to train me. I rang them straight away - they asked me to go in for an interview the next day and I got the job. 

Before I start properly I have to have a Criminal Records Check. I also have to do a five day training course. Then I have to go 'shadowing' for 16 hours with an experienced senior carer so they can show me the ropes and check I'm suitable. Then I'm off on my own with my own round of people who will hopefully be in a regular circuit.

I thought this would be something anyone would be happy to do but now I've got the job it seems that everyone has an opinion as to why I shouldn't do it! Rest assured I may sit on the fence about some things but when it comes to my life and my choices then it's only my opinion that matters. And my husband's. He's behind me every step of the way. Naturally.

I'm doing this job because I have a genuine desire to help elderly people stay in their own homes and live as normal a life as possible. It's the exact same thing as working with horses - you do it because you really want to. If you didn't you just couldn't do it. I don't know if the money is good or bad. It's enough for me. It will pay the bills and mean that I can cover all costs, take more training whenever it's offered AND thoroughly enjoy what I do every day because I know what I do will be valued by others. That's all that matters. 

To me anyway.

So this is how it all started. The next step is the training - watch this space. I'm going to write it all down so I remember and so that others can learn from my experience - and probably my mistakes!

Here we go ...