Originally Posted by curleytops

Well I guess that's at least two of us then. I hardly ever visit Friends Reunited any more but I'll be forever grateful to that site

Originally Posted by curleytops

Well I guess that's at least two of us then. I hardly ever visit Friends Reunited any more but I'll be forever grateful to that site

Originally Posted by HighSpeedGrandma

Now, no bones about it or sugar coating. HCA's or 'carers' is considered a low paid job here. No idea why, basically Tesco's delivery people are paid more an hour than we are. And we have to go through a lot of training. Health and Safety. Moving and Handling. Safe Handling. And in my case Dementia care and lots of other training. Why we are considered 'low skilled' workers is a mystery to me. And a lot of 'care workers' are given a bad rap because of the low pay, low skill stigma.
It really is not true. It takes a special love of people to be able to do what we do. And there was absolutely NO issue with me being the age I was when I decided to train. Signing up with an agency is a great way to get on the job training. They will teach you so much, then send you out on a 'shadow' with a trained member of staff. What you make of it then when you get out in the field is entirely up to you. I spent a few months doing 'domiciliary' care for people in the community. The care I provided was whatever the 'service user's' care package was combined of. Anything from bathing, toileting, feeding, moving, lifting, shopping for them, cleaning for them, helping them open their meds...a million other things. From that I decided I wanted to do more 'in house' work, ie staying at one place. So I went to a few care homes and helped out, through the agency, covering for absent care home staff.
I have NEVER done this type of work before. It's what we used to call Auxilliary nursing, and I always said I could never ever do it. But they were crying out for staff so I thought I'd give it a try as you get paid while training and if I didn't like it I'd leave.

Over a year later I am as I mentioned before, working at a nursing home and now training for my NVQ 3, (completely skipping the 1 and 2). Paid for by the government. The 'assessor' comes to me at work and assigns tasks which I either research or learn about online or already know through work.

On the news the other day they were talking about making it harder for 'unskilled or untrained' people to become carers, which is what they really need to do. Sooner or later we have to become recognised as skilled workers and start paying us more. . Till then I am staying in this field of work. It's paying the bills. I do more hours than my better paid office worker friends. But I am NOT stressed and they are and I am getting my bills paid and living happily alone in my own little rented flat!
I had better shut up, I am waffling on.

Originally Posted by HighSpeedGrandma

Ah you see you have it right. I 'wasted' a few months holding out for a 'well paid' (by UK standards) job thinking I wanted to get straight in and stay at a job for years. In the end I went for very low paid and completely different to what I planned. But as I said, I AM paying my bills, rent and food (great benefit of work is I get fed great food, roast dinners,cottage pie, apple pie, apple crumble, custard, rice pudding, toast, tea, coffee, etc at work so it saves me a ton on shopping, plus I am way to full to eat more than a sandwich when I'm home and I get to come home and watch great British telly (or American if I want because ALL the good American shows are over here) and I get five weeks holiday a year, paid, without having to accrue it. Stuff it, I may well just stay doing this work. Who knows. If the right office job came up I may consider it. Thing is, when you're here it's so much easier because you get to know more and more people, who know other people......!!

Originally Posted by windsong

For those going back home, this site might be useful. I subscribed about four years ago and have found quite a few of my friends from my school and university days. It's so good to feel that "once friends, always friends" - even 30 years later

http://www.friendsreunited.co.uk/

Originally Posted by Montfan72

I used to love it, it was like the pre curser to Face Book. I checked it recently after a long absence and found two messages that were 6 years old from old school friends! I was so sad...I replied but never did hear hear back.

Originally Posted by J.JsOH

I totally admire the dedication and pleasant attitude of the carers in the nursing home where my mother is staying.

Originally Posted by lf1

The new season of "Foyle's War" starts next Sunday evening on ITV! I am one happy camper .

Originally Posted by perthhomeschool

I'll have to look into that site. I did come across a friend from boarding school on facebook. We are both happily married now but each confessed we had had a crush on one another back then, but neither knew

Originally Posted by windsong

It is so much fun to renew the bonds with old schoolmates. Of course, I still imagine them to look the same as they did when I knew them at university and high school, so it is always a shock when I see their present photos Truthfully, though, it is only a shock because it is a reminder of how much of my life I have spent in the USA. I feel I let life slide by, always waiting and waiting for the right time to go home, only now I know there IS no "right time". You just DO IT - when you can afford it of course.