What They Don’t Tell You About Care Work

Care work is advertised as being hard work, but also rewarding. Stock pictures of the elderly laughing and smiling and having a piece of mind that everything is sorted for you. When browsing through job advertisement, so many jobs are care work. I still get many messages from care companies encouraging me to apply to work for them, even ones far away from me. People might come to care work thinking it’s all about wiping bums and making cups of tea. There is so much more to the job than that.

Care home abuse has been exposed many times before with tragic cases of death and neglect. You never hear good news about care homes because it always seems to be the negative press in care homes that attract all the attention.

Lonely Residents

Some families have been unable to visit their loved ones or see them face to face. Despite great efforts, families and residents have been torn about more than ever. With covid restrictions being dropped in England, some care companies are still imposing their own lockdowns and rules to prevent Covid outbreaks, which are not always successful.

A lot of them are also bored because there are no chance to give them fulfilling activities anymore. Some ring bells just for the sake of it because they want one to ones, but the reality is we are so stretched, we are lucky if we can give everybody personal care. They desperately need stimulation and the will to live that isn’t always there behind the scenes.

Pictures of residents going out to day trips and meals out in pubs often end up on social media and newspapers. It makes one think that these happen all the time, but it rarely happens.

Constant Criticism

If you are a care worker, you are scrutinised for everything you do. A lot of care homes work differently depending on how it’s run and who you are working with. Lack of support and being made to feel like a burden when you do need support is one of the top reasons why people don’t last in care for very long.

Hypocrisy and double standards

Linking to constant criticism, the hypocrisy and double standards a rife. You often find the ones that report others for “being lazy”, being on their phone or going out for ciggerettes are the worst culprits.

I’ve spotted some care homes also posting pictures of animals in the home to try and make their place look more homely. Some of the pictures they share on social media are either stock pictures or pics taken from other homes.

Dangerous staffing levels

The whole world is short staffed, but care homes seem to have been hit bad the worst. Sometimes it’s cause of infection outbreaks. A lot of people are off sick. Some people leave. Turnover is always high. Staffing level are care homes have been so dire, that the extra work is sending the remaining staff on a burnout. Some have come to accept that bad backs are a natural part of working in care. It certainly is not and should be avoided at all costs.

Because the care industry are so desperate for staff, they may hire somebody who is not a good fit. There’s been many times where care homes have hired chefs that can’t cook or cleaners who don’t clean. Sadly this also can lead hiring managers to hire carers who don’t care.

Lack of funds

Funding is a big issue. Care workers are not paid enough. Many care assistants and nurses are lucky to even have a roof over their heads. Staff not being paid properly is also a huge problem which leads to low morale and struggles at home.

How to support your relatives in care

In difficult times, you can still support your relatives when you can. I reccomend visiting them whenever you can. If you can’t, you can arrange a Skype call with them or send stuff to them. The video calls really brighten their day, even though a lot of them would prefer face-to-face. Any type of communication will mean the world to them. Don’t be afraid to switch care providers if you feel they will be happier in another setting.