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Original poster

I want to be a Carer

41 replies

Horsedogbird · 20/05/2018 09:08

I want to be a Carer but don't know which option would be better, home care or care home?
I want to do it part time.
I have young children, one in school and one in nursery so this could be difficult but doable.
I asked about volunteering but one local home don't take volunteers and another home didn't get back to me.

OP posts:
Tobuyornot99 · 20/05/2018 09:12

What sort of are do you want to do? Older people, younger people, challenging behavior etc? I don't think any sort of care is "better", but there will be something that suits you better.

It's a rewarding but hard job that can lead to promotion and training opportunities if you are interested.

Do you know any carers or nurses who could advise?

Original poster
Horsedogbird · 20/05/2018 09:18

Care for the elderly and vunerable people with disabilities

OP posts:
Original poster
Horsedogbird · 20/05/2018 09:22

One thing I do know is that I prefer to work with other people that are doing the same job so care home might be better?

OP posts:
cropcirclesinthefields · 20/05/2018 09:47

My dh is a carer, it depends on if you want to be in a carehome or community environment, find a good agency that listens to the clients. CQC reports are very telling for this and how they treat their staff. Do you have any NVQs? Level 2 is the main one they want.

Although it is a very rewarding job, the stories dh tells me about the clients and about how thankful they are to have the help,

Original poster
Horsedogbird · 20/05/2018 10:10

I don't have an NVQ but I do have a 'Preparing to Work in Adult Social Care' certificate level 2

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Original poster
Horsedogbird · 20/05/2018 10:11

crop does your dh do home care or care home?

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Original poster
Horsedogbird · 20/05/2018 10:11

Thanks for the replies

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cropcirclesinthefields · 20/05/2018 11:00

@Horsedogbird he's done both, community is more varied but can have higher costs (fuel, business insurance). Carehome can be a faster pace day, you have to get everyone up and personal care done in a certain time.

Original poster
Horsedogbird · 20/05/2018 11:49

Thanks for the info

OP posts:
colditz · 20/05/2018 11:57

Unless you have a certain callousness of nature, care home work will break you.

Original poster
Horsedogbird · 20/05/2018 12:10

Wow colditz, I certainly don't and yes maybe it would certainly if it was full time but I wouldn't do it full time but yes I think I would get frustrated for sure.

OP posts:
colditz · 20/05/2018 14:48

No not frustrated, heartbroken

harlaandgoddard · 20/05/2018 14:55

Honestly? I wouldn’t recommend it but maybe it will suit you better.

Care home 100% over home care.

Original poster
Horsedogbird · 20/05/2018 18:36

Colditz and Harland do you have personal experience?

OP posts:
colditz · 20/05/2018 18:38

Yes, I worked in Nursing and Residential homes for 8 years

Ollivander84 · 20/05/2018 18:39

I do home care, 2 nights a week now

user1492621884 · 20/05/2018 18:44

Horse I'm a part time community carer, I absolutely love it. I work around school hours and my dh hours so don't have to pay child care. Mine are older though.

Fuel costs are the only downfall but we as a company are paid way above minimum wage so swings and roundabouts really.

It is so rewarding, we make such a difference to our service users lives.

I couldn't personally work in a care Home after seeing my grandad pass away in one earlier this year. Although the staff were fantastic they were run off their feet, not enough staff or facilities for the service users to benefit from.

Phillipa12 · 20/05/2018 18:45

I volunteer with a home care agency and what colditz says is why my boss set up her own agency. I love it, nothing has phased me yet and its the knowing that i am helping someone live in their own home that means so much. I am lucky in that its a very small agency i work for, i dont think i could work in a care home.

Original poster
Horsedogbird · 20/05/2018 18:50

I lost family too in a care home, I do care a lot about these people because having had personal experience of it myself. I think I would find it heartbreaking in a nursing home if I'm honest so maybe I shouldn't do it or maybe community care one day. Thanks though

OP posts:
colditz · 20/05/2018 18:53

Staffing ratios in res homes are 10:1. You have 10 people to get up and out of bed in a two hour time frame. By the time you have finished helping the last, the first needs the toilet and has been waiting for your attention for too long.

5 out of those 10 will need help with their food. If they're lucky, you will mix and match and they will only be the last to be helped once a week. Otherwise they will sit and look at their food for an hour while they wait for you.

8/10 will need help toileting. This may be a quick help with trousers after a wee or it may be a shower because they have dementia and they're smearing faeces and you were helping someone else so weren't there to stop them. 1 or 2 with wet or soil themselves because you were too late because you were too busy.

By the way, you cannot bath 10 people on your own every day. So some of them are having a strip wash instead.

All will need help getting to bed. If you're kind and they're verbal, you can arrange their bedtimes to suit them. If they all want to go to bed at 10pm it's tough shit because bedtime for ten people who need physical help is going to take 2 hours minimum.

Original poster
Horsedogbird · 20/05/2018 18:54

Phillips thank you. I didn't know you could volunteer with a care company?

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Original poster
Horsedogbird · 20/05/2018 18:57

Colditz thanks for your honesty and it's not fair that it's like that for them.

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MakeTheManSomeFuckingEggs · 20/05/2018 18:59

Spot on colditz, sums up most of my days at work.

FissionChips · 20/05/2018 19:06

Have you thought about support work with people with learning disabilities? You help them live their day to day life, maybe take them swimming or other interests they have. It does involve personal care a bit but overall the job is much much easier and a hell of a lot more pleasant than working in care homes for the elderly.

SlowlyShrinking · 20/05/2018 19:07

I agree with colditz generally, however there are some good care homes. Unfortunately they are not the norm. I would say that Home care would probably be better as people are more autonomous as they’re in their own homes. Also it’s an absolute privilege to be invited into someone’s home. All care work is a privilege though. But as colditz said, care Home work can break you if you’re a decent person. It’s shit tbh 😞

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