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.

I couldn't be a carer - i don't think i have the mentality for it and struggled helping to care for a relative. I have massive respect for them though. I watched them make my dm end of life care easier and helped to carry her wishes out to stay at home. I have a relative who went into this profession because of my dms carers and its not the sort of job i expected for them.
It's not a case of being too good for a job - it's the fact you're not suited to it.

Why are so many people in care work (here on this thread) who have degrees?

tabbymumz there are many people with degrees that don’t use them for their current job. Sometimes people change their mind on what they want to do/circumstances change etc etc.

Not being funny but I'm better than this

I don't think so

(Hospital consultant, who has huge respect for how carers help her patients)

Not being funny but I'm better than this

Why do people think that prefacing an ignorant and offensive statement with "not being funny but" makes it any less offensive? It doesn't.

The attitude displayed in the OP is pretty depressing but it has been lovely to read so many posts from dedicated, skilled and compassionate care workers who clearly take a great deal of pride in their work, and so they should! I would like to think that you are in the majority and that people like OP, who think the work is beneath them, are in the minority.

I'm a nurse and I work alongside care workers. They're usually the first ones to identify that something is going wrong for a service user and the information they give to the nurses saves lives. Some of them are extremely perceptive and put the qualified staff to shame. They deserve the upmost respect because they have a thankless and tiring job.

What a knob you are, I hate people like you that think just because you have a “law” degree you think your better than someone that doesn’t

TabbyMumz

I'm a SAHM but before that I was a care worker with a degree. Working class background, straight to uni just as I turned 18, MH problems at uni so I didn't really engage with anyone beyond what I needed to do to get my degree - all this put together meant I didn't really have any confidence to pursue a "graduate career" or even know sort of things I could have done or how to get them. Unpsid onternships in London etc a million miles away from my background. After uni i was back in a deprived town with not much employment and a need to get any job ASAP (didn't want to move from people who supported me) and found myself doing care work.

It's true that it's easy to get a job as a care worker not so easy to do it well and make a difference. I imagine it's not for you because you aren't capable of carrying out the role.

I doubt with your lack of skills you are cut out for working in early years either, so I'd rethink that one. The requirements for working with vulnerable people, whatever their age are clearly beyond you.

You're right, you're not at all funny.

I should add I stayed in care work for 5 years and although I didn't enjoy every moment I felt like I made a difference and still remember many of my service users and wonder how they're doing. I especially enjoyed working with older people.

I'm a biological sciences graduate. I've been a support worker for years. I really enjoy it and it's fitted in with having young children (that's not why I do it, I didn't have children when I started!). I've cared for children whilst they had multiple complex seizures (obviously calling for appropriate medical backup when needed). We can catheterise boys, and use feed pumps. We draw up and administer medication, including through gastro/ng/nj tubes. We make children laugh who are in pain because of their conditions. We advocate for them and their parents. We notice when things are not right, and seek further advice. We are a shoulder to cry on when the system is crap towards parents, or everything gets a bit much. We celebrate every little achievement of children we know very well and look after as well as we look after our own. Sure, you're better than that. Keep telling yourself that.

I'm a nurse and I work alongside care workers. They're usually the first ones to identify that something is going wrong for a service user and the information they give to the nurses saves lives. Some of them are extremely perceptive and put the qualified staff to shame. They deserve the upmost respect because they have a thankless and tiring job.

Absolutely! Before I did my training, I'd been a support worker for 14 years, and proud of every minute of it. I certainly wouldn't be anywhere near the nurse I am right now if it hadn't been for that experience. And HCAs and the like are invaluable to me and all my nursing colleagues. Often the first to raise concerns, spot when some needs that extra help, following their instincts to report worries and in so many cases I've personally worked, their early warnings have enabled the rest of the team to get sepsis treatment started early enough to save lives. Can't speak highly enough of my colleagues, and I get so angry when they are dismissed or talked down to.

@TabbyMumz for me because I lost my job suddenly and needed money quickly to pay the mortgage
What I learnt was it's the small things that matter. Remembering what temp someone likes their water at to be washed, who has sores and where, that X loves talc under her arms, Y has exactly 1.5 sugars in his coffee, that someone needs their hand holding when hoisted so they don't get distressed.. and on and on

In 20 mins I can change someone's pad after assisting them to stand, clean them and apply cream. Make a brew, cook a meal, serve the meal, wash up, give meds, chat throughout and fill in the log which says exactly what I have done. It's not easy

Better than care work

Disgusting attitude and part of the reason that care work is looked down upon. And although you can start in care work without qualifications, you do have to train (med certificate, nvq, palliative care etc) to stay in the job.
Many people like you OP, would be at home looking after their own elderly and sick relatives instead of doing a 'better' job and looking down on those who do that job.
How dare you? The job may not be for you, but you're not 'better' in any way shape or form just because you have a degree.
I'm glad you quit, because the vulnerable that rely on care workers deserve so much better than that awful attitude. I've worked with people like you, and the attitude shows through. And it's unacceptable.
I quit care work because I burned out, I hated the fact that bloody profit for the companies were the bottom line and the clients and staff were just cogs making that margin even fatter. I gave too much of myself and had to get out. But the actual time with the clients are some of my best memories.
Care needs a complete overhaul, and people like you need to get your heads out of your arses.

I loved doing care work. The pay and shifts were unnpredictable though.

@OllyBJolly

Reply to: "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.

OllyBJolly - I totally agree with your words. Good care workers are priceless, and should be highly valued and well rewarded. It takes a special sort of person to do the job well.

Also, it's a real bug bear of mine when people have an expectation of getting well paid jobs, just because they have degrees. The combination of arrogance and naivety re how the world works is staggering. Gaining a degree is an achievement and has value, but attitude is important too.

Sorry if I mislead anyone... OllyBJolly's reply began with the words "No - I think care work is beyond most people" and I agree with that totally.

I'm a healthcare assistant in a hospital; I also happen to have a degree, not that it matters.

I know I make a positive difference to people's lives & not many people can say that about their jobs can they?
I just wish we got paid more for the hard job that we do.

OP I find this post rude and disrespectful dont underestimate care workers what a spineless comment absolutely shameful.

Not being funny but I'm better than this I think you've got it wrong. What you mean is the people you cared for deserve better than people like you looking after them. You are not good enough for them in any way shape or form.

Having done both care work and Early years - both have a lot of physical care involved. If that's the aspect you dislike then early years isn't a lot different in that regards. The main difference is that you are helping one group with later life care and one group progress with their development.

I found more training opportunities in Early Years and the work is more varied overall and I have been able to progress more quickly in Early years - in 6 years I've done both my L3 and L5 and become a deputy manager starting from never having worked in the sector.

If you prefer a workplace with a more academic slant then Early years likely isn't your thing either as it is mostly about physical care of others still.

I should add that both areas of work are very underpaid for the work and caregiving to others that is involved - as are all jobs that care for people rather than making profits.

Guys, OP’s gone. This post is nearly 18mths old!

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