‘I would want my grandma and grandad to be treated well’

REWARDING: Maisie is a caring person.

CARE WORK runs in the family for Maisie, who confirms looking after elderly people is “challenging but rewarding”.

“My mum was always a care worker who worked for the council and absolutely loved her job,” explained the 20-year-old.

“I worked as a customer service advisor, taking orders over the phone. It was mainly older people and I’d always get told off for chatting for too long, which got me thinking about going into social care. Talking to older people wasn’t enough. I noticed they were quite lonely and I always wanted to help them. They were always so grateful for anything you did for them. I always thought I had it in me, I’m a caring person.”

Maisie underwent “exciting” fourday training, taking time out from A-Level studies.

“Now I work with people over 60. It’s what I love to do. I work in the community, providing home care for people who are trying to remain independent for as long as they can. We give them extra help with all the bits they need support with.

“I would want my grandma and grandad to be treated nicely so I do things to the best of my abilities. Even if it’s just making a sandwich or a cup of tea, it’s always 100 per cent.”

Maisie continued: “It’s not always the easiest job. Some days it’s very challenging and quite emotionally draining. It’s not a job that you can come home and think ‘right, that’s done’.

“You come home and you think ‘I wonder how so and so’s getting on’. For all the challenging parts and handling different things, it balances out.

“I support a lady who’s over a hundred and she’s the most amazing person to talk to. You’re always learning from them. It’s fascinating. They’re so much wiser than we are.”