I thought I’d write a little about my experience with carers, a lot of whom I’ve had. My observations and ( my ) conclusions are as below –
Most carers are happiest of all when doing things with food, as in cooking it. Well all except for Linda, who’d have struggled to make toast ( if I ate toast, which I don’t ). The food thing follows on from the observation that most carers are quite into eating, consuming calories rather than burning them up.
On thé last point, most carers are quite resistant to anything that is more than slightly aerobic’ly taxing. Exceptions have been Stella, who would walk miles, Linda who for a brief period didn’t mind cycling, and Kristina who is good for a few miles on a bicycle too, though having had a few goes would rather not do any more, in spite of it being really helpful to me… The others, without exception, have been fairly horrified by something like a mile of brisk(ish) walking.
Those first 2 points are of course for me both ‘ wrong’ as I don’t care about food, and I always want to be on the move.
Next – all carers ( except Hanna and Kristina) have been obsessed with sleeping ( to various degrees ) and very vocal about how tired they get cooking and not exercising at all.
Then cleaning – all know that that’s part of the remit, but other than Hanna none are really that into it and have to be asked/ reminded to dedicate time to it.
No carers can multitask – odd as that’s supposed to be a girl thing. If I ask for something to be done for me, and add another thing or two while they’re at it, then there is evident discomfort, and then I am actually labelled as being demanding. I know that in the other world of work, as ive had lots of employees, 3 requests at the same time would be pretty normal, but in the world of carers there seem to be different rules, even though it’s a paid job. I don’t think it’s an intelligence thing, as lots are definitely clever, so perhaps it’s just the culture ?
Shit and pee – all excellent at not being fazed at all.
Ironing – all quite into it ( though I don’t care about ironing at all, as I rarely wear shirts )
Washing clothes and laundry – very variable – some find it a massive chore to load the washing machine and then put the same stuff into a tumble dryer about an hour later, and some find it ever so easy ( as I believe it to be )
Watching TV – all excellent, for sure. I’ve never had one that’s been resistant to sitting down to watch a film with me.
Remembering to do things a day or 2 ahead ( perhaps by keeping a to do list ) – generally they’re all not very good to awful at this. When reminded that something hasn’t been done, guess what ? Yep….. I’m demanding ( again )
Making tea – all excellent Asking if i want tea or food – again all excellent
Staying up after 12pm – Hanna and Krisztina gréât , all others really, really don’t cope well, and lose sight of the deal that their job is to enable me to live MY life, and be awake at possibly variable hours. It’s the carers that want a routine that’s repeating, rather than myself – no 2 days are ever the same for me ( well why should they be? )
Thinking like a ( fairly logical ) man – all definitely not. Hanna is closest, but some of the things that have happened / been done by my carers would be pure comedy, if I were to ever write them down, which I never have, for fear of offence being taken.
Always having the mobile in one hand whilst doing a job that needs 2 hands – all 100% excellent.
Being good hearted – without exception all ( except for one, who was most certainly not, but she hadn’t cared before and I believe now has given up that job )
Lateral thinking to resolve a task? Zero ability, so far from any of them. It does amuse me, that part tbh – seeing the complete lack of what to do next’ness. Thankfully I’m there to come up with a solution on most occasions, or I call an able friend who can!
Today I went to the shops on the Segfree – it goes well uphill but slowly down the same hills. As I can’t shift my weight forward enough ( can’t wiggle and can’t bend forward much after all my spinal metalwork ) I think I’ll have to be content with that, unless I strap weight to the front of it, which actually I may well do, thinking about it. The seat does slide forward but it’s already as anterior as it can be – project for me then. Also it desperately needs a handle somewhere closer to the front so that I’d get far more stability, making it feel a lot safer than it does. I think I need my buddy Rob to engineer something !