During my time at college my Mum worked as a manager at a Care home near to where we lived. I remember volunteering there during the summer months. I wanted to gain experience in the care industry and to have a better understanding of the work my Mum did. It was a great way to spend the summer and gave me a great deal of experience. As a volunteer I learnt a lot about Care homes, the staff and of course the residents.
I loved volunteering in the Care home. Each day was different and it had its own community feel to it. When you walked through the doors to start your shift you never knew what would await you but you knew you were entering a special community. This community feel extended through the residents, to the staff and to the family of the residents. When you become part of the Care home, you become part of the Care home family. An extended family and community that you are proud to be a part of.
With any community and any family there are obviously ones which suit your tastes and personality better than others, and I was so happy to have found one where I fitted in so well. I loved listening to the residents stories, playing games with them, helping them and accompanying them on day trips. Choosing a Care home may feel like a daunting task but your instincts will tell you the best fit. Take the time to visit and experience the community feel and visit on different days as both residents and staff will change. You can also read up on care homes before you visit, many have produced ebooks about the cost of care, or what it’s like to live there.
Some of the residents in the Care home were there on respite care and others had their own bedrooms and were permanent residents. This did not matter to the community feel, the family altered its dynamics but never the bond that existed between everyone. In the same way that the staff worked shifts, the members of the community simply adjusted to these changes.
A Care home really is a home from home.
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