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Have you ever tried to imagine what is like to go into residential care for the fist time?
Coming into care is undoubtedly one of the major decisions people make in life, and almost certainly the last major decision.
The document I have chosen is from a hand out given to me on the social care induction programme. I choose this based on my work setting, because
There is a lot of mixed feeling about coming in to care. Fears, doubts and most importantly when this happens to elderly people, they can feel that they have been neglected by their loved ones and unwanted.
As a carer it is my duty to make them feel wanted, to provide them with the care and attention that they need and ease those fears and doubts.
The image above shows an elderly gentleman reading a book with a carer next to him. The elderly gentleman looks happy and content. This kind of scene is the main thing I as a carer must work really hard to try and achieve. Creating a good atmosphere to make them feel comfortable and more at home.
Of course it is not all plain sailing, sometimes I can face a lot of difficulties in doing my duty especially if there is only very little information/personal history regarding a new resident. But with good observation and listening skills I can overcome those obstacles and discover resident’s routines and likes and dislikes. Also with the help of members of their family providing photograph albums or holiday snapshots will gives me some sort of clue to how residents lived their life in the past.
Many elderly people going into care are in need of help and supervision but by careful assessment of their capabilities I can draw this line with at accuracy and establish how much residents can and can’t do, and let them do it. At the end of the day a carer’s duty is to care for them but not to take away their independence.
With regards to relatives, it is also important to treat them with respect and friendliness.
It is a very difficult