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Case Study: Rosalind's Story

Rosalind, Care Assistant at Bluebird Care Peterborough & RutlandMum and I were so close, we talked every day, and when I lost her suddenly, I was left with an enormous amount of heartache. I also had heaps of love left inside of me to give. I missed her and I think that’s why I applied for the job with Bluebird Care. 

I thought I’d enjoy it because I love looking after people, it’s what I’m good at, anyone will tell you that. I’ve a naturally big heart. I’ve masses of empathy, and I think I’m just a friendly person. 

When I started working at Bluebird Care, I thought: ‘if only my customers knew how much they’re helping me.’ I look forward to seeing them.  

I’ve built such strong bonds with them, I see them all as my little family, and I think the world of them. 

Every single day and every customer is different. There’s Ron who’s 93 and he’s so knowledgeable. You can imagine all the stories he has to tell. Yesterday he was telling me about his National Service and how he used to be an ammunition inspector. Its like sitting with your friend, we have a right natter. Today we were looking at his photographs. Ron has a little bit of sparkle, they all do.   

 And then there’s Martha, I call her my Aunty Martha, I love her, she’s bags of fun. ‘Where are we going?’ she says as she sits on her chairlift. ‘To Oxford Street,’ I say. She was born in 1931. ‘I don’t see you as my care assistant,’ she tells me, ‘I see you as someone who just comes to see me.’ 

I love my job. I’m your Bluebird Care chatterbox. I get on with everyone, and they all get on with me. Every day there are special moments. And at the end of the day, it’s difficult to switch off. Lying in bed at night I think about my customers, I think about them all the time. 

June has Alzheimer’s and it’s hard because I can see she’s rapidly declining. She loves Frank Sinatra and I put Spotify on and play his songs or songs from the 1940s. When I play Old Man River, I can tell she likes it, she mouths the words and I sing along. She’s the kindest, sweetest soul you will ever meet, she’s lovely. I set my phone on its little stand when I’m blow drying her hair so that she can watch a video of Frank Sinatra on YouTube. She always has a smile on her face, even when she’s sleeping. 

I’ve taught some of my customers, who are in their eighties and nineties, how to use FaceTime so they can use it to talk to their family or how to use Catch Up TV. 

A few of my customers have passed away and I’ve been heartbroken. Tom was a lovely gentleman, he collected books. He was a very caring man, and such a gentleman, he often gave me words of wisdom.  

All my customers have a special place in my heart, and if anything happened to any of them, I’d cry 

I still find it hard without my mum, but this job helps me get through it.  My mum used to be a care assistant, and she loved it, and I think she’d be super proud of me. 

This is a comforting job. I don’t ever see it as a job, I think I’ve just been to see the people I know and I’m helping them. When I go to see them, they’re smiling and happy and hopefully I’ve made their day.  

I love knowing that I’m having an impact on their life. I come home from a day at work absolutely beaming because I’ve seen all my favourite people.