Kerry, from Coastal Homecare, recently sadly experienced a passing of a client and handled the situation with the upmost dignity and respect, her professionalism was second to none, and she provided valued support to the family at a time that was really needed.
Thanks for all your hard work and dedication, and congratulations on being CareLineLive’ s May Star Carer!
What was your reaction to winning CareLineLive’s May Star Carer Award?
I was just amazed, this job is a real privilege, getting that recognition means a lot to me – I was very excited and very grateful.
What aspects of being a carer do you enjoy?
Meeting new people and being able to provide a little bit of extra comfort in their day means a lot and it’s really interesting finding out about people’s lives and getting to know about their family.
I find caring a humbling job and getting close to my clients is a wonderful thing. It can be emotional at times, but we are there to do a job as well – it has to be the right balance.
I enjoy chatting with my clients, talking about my life, their life and the good old days.
How does CareLineLive’s Carer Companion App help you in your job?
It’s fantastic, we are able to communicate as a team which is the main thing; we have all the information we need about our clients. It’s not just about the support plan, it’s the little details about how they like their cup of tea, all the things that give our clients more comfort.
Being able to communicate amongst our team has been brilliant – for example using eMAR – it’s all there in one place, rather than lots of different folders and charts. It frees me up to spend more time with my client, with this job you are always on a time limit. Anything that gives you time back is fantastic.
What’s your experience of being a carer during Covid-19?
It has presented its challenges but for us it has been about real team work – we have knuckled down and got through it – my team and my management team have been so supportive of us all in the field. It’s not just been about PPE to protect us and our clients, it has been about our wellbeing as well – knowing you have got that back up and support has been so important.
What makes me even more determined to provide good care is that I felt isolated during lockdown and I have a big family. So with my clients who sometimes don’t have that big family, I want to make the experience as positive as possible.
Our clients have felt safe and secure which has been massively important – to both me and our company.
How do you switch off after a hard day at work?
I don’t really, but in the evening I love cooking. I also love to socialise so it has been hard during Covid. I like to be with my family and I am looking forward to getting back to how it used to be – lots of people in my house. I thrive on chaos and love to be busy!
