Care work

[Catmum52]

Hi there, I quit my job as a care assistant after 6 months. Absolutely hated it!!! Not being funny but I'm better than this, I have a law degree but after having my son, realised a career in Law wasn't for me.
I love education and I love working with children, I'd like to be an Early Years Educator but at 52 am I too old?? I feel like I don't know what to do with myself anymore. There we are I've vented.

You're not too old at all. I'm an early years educator and work in a preschool with a lovely lady around your age who started training for her level 3 a couple of years ago. If it's what you want to do, you should go for it - it's an incredibly rewarding career.

Not being funny but I'm better than this

I think what you mean is you didn't enjoy the job, right? Not that you think care work is only for the thick.

@Frequency She is better than it education wise if she has a law degree. Care work doesn't require higher education unless you're a nurse.

I also think most people are above care work tbh. I would never do it, though my dad is an excellent dementia nurse and absolutely loves his clients.

As a care worker with a degree I find it insulting that anyone thinks they are better than me or anyone else who works in care with or without a degree.

@Frequency well good for you, no ones saying anyone is better than each other but the OP stated she has a law degree and thinks she is better than care work, which I agree with in an education sense. I'm studying my law degree currently and it can lead to so many well paid careers outside of law as it's so versatile.

I think you need to change your wording, it’s extremely offensive

Most people are above care work

WELL SAID frequency

I’ll be starting a new care job in a few weeks, cheers OP.

@NabooThatsWho Good luck with the new job.

wow. How very fucking disrespectful. I hope you don't intend to teach that attitude to children one day.

I get what OP is saying. I was a care worker for a year and I found it did not mentally challenge me and I got very bored.

I am now degree educated and have a career in adult social care.

OP you can change careers at any age!

Care assistants in all settings are one of the most important, low paid and undervalued group of workers and the health and social care sector would collapse without them. , maybe you could go into some sort of education role, teaching children about respect and diversity.

Working in Early Years is not paid well, unless you are going to retrain as a teacher and even then its not great.

No she isn't better than it education wise.

I am highly educated, think higher qualifications, two degrees and masters, thinking of rounding off on a phd and still, I am a care worker. Minimum wage.

Cheeky, condescending thought process some have.

Not everyone can handle the selflessness required to work in care though so probably better off you find something you feel suits you better, which I'm sure is what you should have meant.

@NabooThatsWho

Good luck. Personally, I love my job (and no, it's not because I'm too thick to do anything else). You meet different people, many of whom have some great stories to tell about their lives. It can be mentally and physically draining and sadly, due to the state of mental health care in our country, you'll probably find yourself dealing with people who need more care than you are trained or allowed to give but overall it's great.

My only complaint is the pay and the lack of training. I got two weeks training. That enables me to administer medication which could literally kill people if I make a mistake.

As a single parent running a household on one income I need more money thus I am taking my thick ass back to uni next year in the hope of moving up the career chain to management level.

I have an office job. Same old every day. I'm looking to be a health care support worker on the wards in the hospital but dh is a shift worker so at the moment child care would be difficult but hopefully this will change in the next couple of years. Can't wait!

I also think most people are above care work tbh

No - I think care work is beyond most people. It's bloody demanding work that requires all sorts of skills - tolerance and respect for others being key. So I can see why it might not suit the OP.

Absolutely shameful how low a value we place on care workers.

When I finished university I spent almost two years working as a care assistant. Funnily enough when I got the job I thought I was above it too, I couldn't get a graduate job as it was the recession then. Well it was a huge learning curve, far harder than anything I'd done academically. I learnt so much, not least enormous respect for the profession. Looking back at least I had the excuse of being 21 when I held such patronising views, and had them swiftly knocked out of me, sorry to see that at 52 you haven't got the same insight.

If you were not mentally challenged you weren't doing it right. I'm shattered after a shift, continually reading patients moods, needs, observations etc. and adjusting to them is tiring! Plus that aspect of caring. Investing in the person and how you can genuinely make their day better, easier or more comfortable .

If you're not being challenged by care work then frankly, you're not doing it properly.

Having said that, not everyone is cut out for it. It's a pretty sad state of affairs that it's seen as work anyone can do, but that's of course because it's traditionally done by women, so men labelled it unskilled. The arseholes.

Happy to see those who have experience coming to defend the role, I absolutely agree how shameful it is that people completely underestimate the value we should place on care workers.

@Mumof1andacat DP is a shift worker too and believe it or not childcare is easier, the only downside is that we are like passing ships in the night. He works when I'm at home and I work when he is at home.

Care worker here- thanks for that!