Case study: Lesley's story

A new career at my age? I didn’t think it was possible.

As the demand for home care increases, providers such as Bluebird Care are increasingly looking towards older workers to meet the demand.And, not only is this good for care providers and their customers, many of these mature workers are finding that a late change of career has great benefits for them too.

Typical of the new generation of mature care workers is Leslie Kitts, who lives near Newbury. Leslie, who will be 74 this year, has been a care expert for Bluebird Care for 8 years – and loves it.

Leslie’s previous career saw her working in a garden centre for seven years, before becoming an office manager in London, a job she did for 13 years. Tired of the daily grind of commuting and office work, she gave it up, but found that being at home just didn’t suit. “I was bored out of my brain!” she says. “There’s only so much gardening you can do.”

Leslie looked at office vacancies, but nothing really appealed to her. Then she saw an advert for care expert vacancies. She says: “I just thought – ‘give it a go!’ I can’t stay at home, I have too much energy. Surely, I have got something I can give.”

Leslie was interviewed by Bluebird Care and offered a position, which she decided to take; impressed with what she felt was the “highly professional” way in which the company was run. She had never done care work before, other than raising her two sons, and undertaking workplace training in First Aid, so it was a whole new career for her. But, with full training given by Bluebird Care, and time spent shadowing a mentor, she was soon out delivering care to customers in their own homes.

“In a typical day I might have something like a dozen calls” she explains. “The early calls are normally for a shower or a wash and making my customers breakfast. Then there are a couple of mid-morning calls to make sure all is OK – make a hot drink and that’s it. The lunchtime calls involve making a light lunch and perhaps some personal care tasks as needed, then some calls in the afternoon, which can be for a variety of reasons, all finished off around teatime; my last call is at 6pm – when I do a cooking call.”

Leslie enjoys the flexibility of the work, which allows her to do the hours she wants to fit in around her home life. She does full days, but a number of her colleagues work part time, mornings only, evenings only or even just weekends.  Most of Leslie’s customers are older people, with varying levels of care requirements – some only need somebody to drop in and help once a week, while others are completely immobile and need 4 or 5 calls per day.

“The main qualities you need are simply patience and common sense,” she says. “Some of our customers have dementia, which can be challenging, so it’s not always easy, but if you take it in your stride, it’s very rewarding”

“You do have to be reasonably fit because it can be physically demanding, but you don’t have to be some sort of Amazonian, the Moving & Positioning training you receive with Bluebird Care is excellent and teaches you some clever techniques. Driving is essential, however, ideally with a sat-nav because some of the rural calls can be hard to find!”

“And in return, it’s very satisfying, because you build up a rapport with your customers. The one thing that surprised me is just how much fun you can have – we have such a giggle with some of our ladies and we enjoy talking to them. You get home at the end of the day and you’re really happy with what you’ve done, and that’s not easy in a job. And it’s nice working for Bluebird Care, because they appreciate their staff, which makes a huge difference.”

Leslie believes there are several reasons why mature workers can be particularly suited to care work. “I think older care workers can use their life experiences to relate to their customers” she says. “having come across different types of people and different situations in your life prepares you for the situations you are likely to face with the customers you visit, like coaxing people to eat, or to go to the loo, which isn’t always easy. Life experiences and common sense can really make a difference.”

“As long as you’re a ‘people person’ and are fairly easy-going, I would certainly recommend this work for anyone.”

For more information about Bluebird Care visit Why Caring Could Be Perfect For You or call 012526 748393 or email: kingsclere@bluebirdcare.co.uk