Michael & His Live-in Carer Grace
"The first time I met Michael, we sat out in his garden as Covid was starting to take hold in the Spring of 2020. Michael has early-stage Alzheimer’s Disease and is hard of hearing. He is still quite independent but gets a little confused at times. We went through all of his care needs and his requirements and wishes in respect of the type of Home Carer he would like.
Naturally, he was a little anxious – Live-in Care was new to him and his daughter, Clare, had lots of questions about how Livein Care would work. Clare originally suggested Live in care to her Dad as a possible option. He hadn’t thought about it previously, but he didn’t want to be on his own when he came out of hospital.
I visited Michael recently. Again, we sat out in his beautiful garden, and I couldn’t get over how well he looked and how relaxed he seemed. Since I met him the first time, he has had several different Home Carers. I asked him how it has been finding the right Carer. There have been ups and downs, and funny moments including an incident with one Live in Carer falling into his pond, but Michael said that most of the girls have been excellent, and he described Grace as being particularly excellent and attentive. Since the Spring, Grace has been Michael’s regular Domiciliary Carer. They have an easy relationship. Michael described Grace as always being cheerful, being a good listener and a good driver. He said she shows an interest in things and reacts nicely. She is also a fantastic housekeeper and Clare said that the house is cleaner than it’s been for years.
Michael is an intelligent and sociable man. He used to be Head of Biology at Winchester College in Hampshire and has lots of interests – sketching and painting, natural history and gardening. His well-loved garden is a riot of colours and rare and interesting fauna. Michael enjoys sharing his knowledge with his Carers and Grace said she has learnt so much from him. Michael likes going out for a walks and Grace is happy to accompany him – they try and get out most days.
Prior to having Live-in Carers, Michael had carers who popped in, but he said there was lots of chopping and changing. He said that he likes the security and continuity of having a Live-in Carer and he likes the companionship and the feeling that there is someone else in the house with him.
When I visited, I also caught up with Grace to ask her how she is finding caring for Michael. Grace is a very experienced Carer and has worked in a variety of settings. She said she loves caring for Michael and making a difference to his life. She described Michael as being a very sweet man and said he likes to chat and likes to be involved with things around the house and said they enjoy playing scrabble together. She said she and Michael do lots of things together and share meals and coffee breaks. She said she enjoys helping Michael to remain as independent as he is able and supporting him to live the life he wants to live and enabling him to stay in his own home.
Clare (Michael's daughter) lives close by and pops in regularly, and can see that her Dad is well-looked after and happy which gives her peace of mind."
Written by Jo from the Access Care Carer Bookings & Client Relationship Team
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