Sense of fulfilment from helping people
FORMER opencast mine worker Anthony John became a home carer after a varied career, and wished he’d done it sooner.
He works for Carmarthenshire Council and clocks up his first anniversary in the role in December.
Mr John and senior carer Lisa Jones have spoken about their roles and the sense of fulfilment they get from helping people remain in their homes who would otherwise be in a residential care setting or hospital.
The job demands empathy, professionalism and good all-round personal skills.
The personal care aspect required might not be for everyone but it’s critical for the people they help.
Mr John, of Capel Isaac, north of Llandeilo, has a farming background and along with his brother looked after his late father.
“Personal care is not something everyone can do, but it’s no problem for me,” said the 56-year-old. “People need help, and I’m glad to be of service.”
He works part-time, helping people in their homes from as early as 6.45am onwards in and around the Ammanford area.
Senior carer Mrs Jones is a reablement team supervisor, and has worked for the council for nearly 10 years.
The former hairdresser covers the Llanelli, Pembrey and Llangennech area, but sometimes all of Carmarthenshire.
She helps people at their home for a period of six weeks or so after they’ve had a short stay in hospital, for example, or broken a bone and don’t need to be on a hospital ward.
“My day-to-day is always varied,” she said.
“I get a lot of pleasure out of my job - care is a job you have to enjoy to be in. It’s not just a work relationship you’re building.”
She said family members may live a long way away, so rely on carers like her to keep their relative at home.
Inevitably the people carers look after pass away from time to time.
Mrs Jones said families had told her that if it wasn’t for her and her colleagues, their relative wouldn’t have had the quality of life they did.
“It’s really nice to hear that,” she said.
Home carers are registered professionals with the body Social Care Wales.
Raising the profile of the job and developing career pathways have long been talked about as a way of making the role more attractive.
Pay is also an issue and Mrs Jones and Mr John said the council, as an employer, did well in that regard.
Council carers get travel costs, and the travel time from house to house is counted as work.
Generally speaking, councils’ inhouse care teams look after a smaller proportion of people in need in their area than independent care providers, which are commissioned by councils.
Health boards in Wales have begun recruiting care workers, in what feels like a blurring of the traditional health and social care divide, to help ease the pressure on hospital beds.
Winter is here and Mr John, whose previous jobs include factory setter, opencast mine worker and British Rail employee, will be working on December 25.
“A lot of our clients don’t see anyone on Christmas Day,” he said.
Mrs Jones, 39, added: “To be honest it’s quite nice working on Christmas Day - maybe someone hasn’t got any family so you’ve put a smile on their face.
“Some families will cancel calls on Christmas Day and look after their relative - they want to see you have a break.”
She said it was very rewarding to provide people with the home comforts we all crave.
“I treat those people like family,” she said.