Life as a Care Assistant During the Covid-19 Pandemic

Bluebird Care Care Assistant Details Life as a Care Assistant During the Covid-19 Pandemic

Carole Sawyer has been a Care Assistant at Bluebird Care Reading, Wokingham, Bracknell, and Maidenhead for 8 years. She wrote an extract to describe what her job as a Care Assistant entails and how it has changed in recent months:

“I have been in care for nearly 8 years and over those years I have had many challenges as you’d expect. However, this year the biggest challenge (one we could never have imagined), reared its ugly head- Covid-19!

“As a carer who has a large family this was the greatest worry I have ever had to face. The everyday worry of, ‘will be family be ok and stay safe?’ and ‘what does the future hold for all of us?’. Especially as I had a new granddaughter arriving any day. Many questions we never thought we would have to ask ourselves. 

“I was due back from annual leave just after the lockdown started, and I received a message from a very dear friend asking me to rethink about going back to work. Like many other people, I have a few health issues and she was concerned for my safety (bless her). Don’t get me wrong of course it worried me, but I’m a carer it’s a job I love, and many people rely on care.

“I have some amazing customers who have become friends and in many cases, like family. So, my decision was easy. I would be continuing to do the job I love. As a domiciliary carer you never know what is behind a door when you enter a customer’s home and the last few weeks that worry has multiplied. But we have amazing care staff who have all shown their amazing dedication and carried on. And I know we are all glad that we did. 

“It is an uncertain world out there for everyone. For the elderly, the isolated and the vulnerable the uncertainty is far worse. So many of our customers have shown us so much gratitude for the care we give them. But it is not just about the personal care we provide for them, it is about the chats, the reassurance, and the little extras we do for them to cheer them up. Very often you are even temporarily taking the place of their family

“I’ve never been the best timekeeper with my customers, I’ve always let a chat go on a little longer than I should. But now especially that time has become more important to our customers. And in return it is important to us too. 

“In a world where we are restricted from seeing our families, from hugging our precious grandchildren, our customers have become our little saviours too.”