A day in the life of a care
worker
Grantley works in a residential
home for adults with learningdifficulties. Today his shift started
at 7am, helping the clients to get up and dressed. Some clients
just needed a word of encouragement and a reminder of what they
need to do, others needed a lot of help with their personal hygiene
needs, bathing and toiletting etc. Grantley also helped to give out
the medication prescribed for some of the clients. Grantley then
assisted the clients to have their breakfast enabling them to chose
what they wanted to eat and drink. Grantley works with other carers
in the team and they all helped to plan the day. One client needed
help going to do their banking, another to go line dancing, another
getting to an appointment with a doctor.
Grantley then went to the line
dancing class and after it finished he and the client enjoyed a cup
of tea together in town. They planned a shopping trip to buy the
client's brother a birthday present next week before returning home
for lunch. Grantley filled in the necessary paperwork about the
class and visit to town, making sure he completed the details of
the financial transactions that had taken place.
After lunch Grantley recorded the
menu details and assisted those clients who needed help with their
personal hygiene needs. Grantley's shift finished at 2pm and before
leaving he said goodbye to the clients and staff.
Sue had been a part time cook in
a restaurant for many years. She found that her experience in
working with people, her knowledge of food hygiene and producing a
balanced diet stood her in good stead for residential care. For
many years whilst her children had been growing up she had managed
to organise her work and home life and these skills also helped her
in her new job.