Sharon's Covid Calls

Sharon has been self isolating, but has very kindly volunteered to call her customers instead!

I was a Secretary and working full time in an office for most of my working life, and on top of that I was a carer for my husband for over 20 years. Suddenly having to realise that at a certain age you have to slow down was certainly a bit of a shock!

I didn’t think for one minute that going out to provide care for others was something I would like to do, because it can been challenging at times, as I have learnt by my own personal experience. 

However, knowing I didn’t want to retire, and being a person who finds it very easy to talk to people, even strangers, this is something I knew I could do and would love. So when Bluebird offered me the job to do social calls, this changed my life completely! Here I am nearly two years on, still providing social calls.

Sadly, due to Covid-19, I am not able to visit my wonderful customers. So instead I’m calling them all from home and loving every minute!

To my delight everyone I get to speak to have said how lovely it is to hear from me; how they have missed me and have been concerned as to how I have been getting on. Not only have I brightened up their day by calling; but they have also made me feel important and wanted as well. Knowing all this, I can say that the pandemic has brought people closer together. The response has been over-whelming and touching. 

I call all my social call customers once a week, mainly to check on how they are coping with this current situation. I ask if there are any concerns that my colleagues in the office at Bluebird Care should be aware of, and how we can make it a little easier for them at home to cope. 

Everyone seems very positive and upbeat, and like everyone else they have good days and bad. We talk mostly about everyday things such as family, shopping, weather. I even had a wonderful chat with one of my ladies asking about her memories of VE Day, as I knew she had been in the forces.  She told me “Oh, I can’t remember dear, I was very drunk! “

Gosh some of the stories they tell me, really make me smile! They really enjoy the time we get talking, and they most currently look forward to me calling again. I miss them all and I am so looking forward to seeing them all again very soon.