Sep 06, 2023 | Our stories
My hometown in South Africa is Durban and during the pandemic I was caring for my elderly mother and stepfather at home. It was my mother who suggested that I might like to move to England and that being a live-in carer was a good job.
I arrived from South Africa in December 2022. The weather was a real shock. I thought “how cold can it be?” but after temperatures that are regularly over 30 degrees C back home a British winter was a surprise. Interestingly, I think I now prefer the cold to the hot.
When I arrived, I considered a couple of options of work for different care agencies, but I thought a smaller live-in agency like OxleyCare might be a bit more friendly and possibly more flexible which has proved to be the case.
I am very happy with my live-in placement which definitely suits my skill set. The person I look after is delightful. She is lively minded and has a lovely sense of humour and amazingly she is one hundred years old. We get along very well, and she has the nicest dog too. Generally, I help her by assisting her with everything from personal care, medications, cooking, walking the dog and light housework. It means that she has been able to continue to live happily in her own home. I love the work, but it is good to be able to take a break every month.
One of the things I have found incredibly beneficial when working for OxleyCare is the communication and support they offer. I just have to pick up the phone and there’s always someone there to help without delay. And the office staff are not only interested and friendly, but they make me feel that they care too. They couldn’t be more supportive.
A nice feature of OxleyCare is the carer’s house. It’s a bit of a trek from my placement but it has become easier now I have my own car. A nice thing about the house is that we get to meet some of the other carers. Quite a few are from South Africa like me which is nice.
The house has an open plan downstairs and three bedrooms upstairs. Even during the time, I have been working for OxleyCare there have been a number of improvements. The living room and kitchen were painted back in the spring and the old sofa (which was uncomfortable) was replaced with two two-seater sofas. This has really brightened it up downstairs. In the last couple of weeks, the bathroom has been completely modernised and now has a big walk-in shower. It’s great for me as I love showers.
In addition to my care skills, I thought that I might learn an additional skill. I have a degree in psychology, so I have signed up for an online course in counselling which I think could be helpful for me as a carer and will certainly keep me busy on my days off.