M
By the way a typical working day for me runs something like this.
Get up 6.15am
Get myself ready showered dressed etc.
7am go wake my aunt up which takes a while. Change her bed, make her
breakfast, give her all of her tablet and inhalers. Make her coffee and a
packed lunch. Often I will need to help her with the toilet. Clear breakfast
things away. Make my own breakfast and packed lunch. The carer arrives while I’m
just finishing off my breakfast. The carers comes for an hour to sort out my aunt’s
personal needs, then I go to work after leaving instructions.
We also have a lunch time carer for 30 mins and a mid afternoon carer for 30 mins.
Around 6pm I get home from work. Help me aunt to the toilet. Make her a coffee.
start dinner. Wash up, put the washing machine on. Clear up any messes, read
through the notes left by the carers.
Then we eat and I clean everything away. Then there is putting the laundry in the dryer
and waiting for that to finish.
Rest of evening is spent folding clothes, making coffee. Helping my aunt into and out of
bed. To and from the toilet. A bit of cleaning. Then bed.
Oh and not forgetting getting up maybe as many as 3 times in the night to check on her.
At the moment she is getting over a cold so needs regular inhalers and help during the
night. But even when she is well she often shouts me up as needs help.
Then there are then times I have to call out an ambulance in the middle of the night.
Like the other week when she slipped out of bed onto the floor. Or last year when
I had to call an ambulance 8 times and the hours spent in A and E at hospital.
Even my days off are full of community matron visits, respiratory nurse, chiropodist,
GP visits. Collecting meds from the pharamacy, occupational therapy visits. We never
have a week without some medical visits.
For anyone who just thinks do it, it’s your duty. They have no idea of the realities
of caring for someone. Don’t do it out of duty that would be awful for everyone.
No one wants someone looking after them out of duty. Do it because you love them and
because you are strong enough to cope.
Get up 6.15am
Get myself ready showered dressed etc.
7am go wake my aunt up which takes a while. Change her bed, make her
breakfast, give her all of her tablet and inhalers. Make her coffee and a
packed lunch. Often I will need to help her with the toilet. Clear breakfast
things away. Make my own breakfast and packed lunch. The carer arrives while I’m
just finishing off my breakfast. The carers comes for an hour to sort out my aunt’s
personal needs, then I go to work after leaving instructions.
We also have a lunch time carer for 30 mins and a mid afternoon carer for 30 mins.
Around 6pm I get home from work. Help me aunt to the toilet. Make her a coffee.
start dinner. Wash up, put the washing machine on. Clear up any messes, read
through the notes left by the carers.
Then we eat and I clean everything away. Then there is putting the laundry in the dryer
and waiting for that to finish.
Rest of evening is spent folding clothes, making coffee. Helping my aunt into and out of
bed. To and from the toilet. A bit of cleaning. Then bed.
Oh and not forgetting getting up maybe as many as 3 times in the night to check on her.
At the moment she is getting over a cold so needs regular inhalers and help during the
night. But even when she is well she often shouts me up as needs help.
Then there are then times I have to call out an ambulance in the middle of the night.
Like the other week when she slipped out of bed onto the floor. Or last year when
I had to call an ambulance 8 times and the hours spent in A and E at hospital.
Even my days off are full of community matron visits, respiratory nurse, chiropodist,
GP visits. Collecting meds from the pharamacy, occupational therapy visits. We never
have a week without some medical visits.
For anyone who just thinks do it, it’s your duty. They have no idea of the realities
of caring for someone. Don’t do it out of duty that would be awful for everyone.
No one wants someone looking after them out of duty. Do it because you love them and
because you are strong enough to cope.
- 2
- 2
- Show all