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.