With each visit I believe I can make a difference

Lorraine Birkett is known as the “Soup Lady”, but serving nourishing meals is just one aspect of the job she loves.

Sum up your job in 3 words:

1 Honour (to meet people and be a part of their lives)

2 Privilege

3 Rewarding

I’VE always wanted to care for people, and when I was young I wanted to go into nursing, but then I had my two sons and decided to hold off on my career and care for them instead.

When they grew up and flew the nest, I felt like I needed to do something where I could put into use my desire for caring.

That’s what led me to start work as a CAREGiver at Home Instead Senior Care, which helps older people to live well in their own home. Feeling like I can help make someone’s life a bit easier is a massive positive for me. It’s so worthwhile.

Every day is different in my job: sometimes I’m popping in to see someone for an hour’s visit, other times it’s a big chunk of time. With each visit I believe I can make a difference.

I work with the same people on a regular basis, so you get to know their likes and dislikes and when they’re not feeling at their best.

When I start with some clients, I can tell if they’re just trying to get by on a sandwich or not eating much fresh food. So I cook them up big batches of soups and stews to get them eating again.

Many may say they’re not hungry, but once they smell the food cooking they really start to perk up – so that’s where my “Soup Lady” name ca a ame from. Now my v visits often start with a request for a particular favourite soup or stew!

I like to think I can encourage a client to love food again. I believe that smell, taste and sitting eating together changes their mind-set, so this can be part of my daily routine.

When a client is not interested in food I start with soup and ask them to help me prepare it, and we’ll chat while we do that. We’ll sit in the kitchen together while it’s cooking and have a good laugh at the tales we both have to share.

If I’m there on a morning call, we might start by preparing an evening meal that I’ll put in the slow cooker for that evening.

Between calls I drop in on my own mum to make her lunch and take her out for any appointments or just to get out, then I collect my grandson from school.

Once he’s picked up by his mum and dad, I’ll head out for an evening call to one of my clients, where I’ll help them finish off making the meal we started in the morning.

You don’t need specific qualifications to become a CAREGiver; training was all provided when I started.

You do, however, need to have a passion for caring for people, a strong sense of empathy and a warm personality.

Where I work they focus on placing CAREGivers with clients who have similar interests in order to build a real connection and relationship, which can be just as important as providing for their daily needs.

This is so important as we visit people in their own homes and really want to help them to enjoy what they love in the place they feel the most comfortable.

The best part of my job is seeing people thrive when you’re working with them. I love my job. The caring profession is one of the few careers where your work is equally as rewarding for you as it is for your clients.

When my sons grew up, I really missed feeling like I was needed – working for Home Instead has given me that. It’s great to feel the work you do is truly valued by both the people you care for and their families.

After a busy day, I head for home. I’ve never been one for sitting in front of the TV. When I’m not working, I split my time between caring for my own mother following her life-saving lung cancer operation, and looking after my grandchildren three days a week. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.

It’s not just me caring for them – I really do need them as much as they need me.