Our Live-in Carer Rajinder joins a video call to discuss her experience of providing live-in care within people’s homes during Covid-19.
We are looking back on the past few busy months and how the team at The Good Care Group rose to the challenges presented to them by Covid-19 crisis. Our Professional Live-in Carer Rajinder Ajiz (pictured center left) perfectly summed these up by speaking to HRH, The Duke of Cambridge, on a video call about her experience of providing live-in care within people’s homes during Covid-19 crisis.
The call was set up by The Care Workers Charity and was joined by four other care workers from different parts of the sector across England to discuss unique challenges of providing care throughout the pandemic.
Prince William was keen to find out how the Covid-19 outbreak affected carers’ wellbeing and what helped them to cope throughout these difficult times. Speaking to The Duke, Rajinder reflected on the challenge of managing her own family experiences as well as continuing to provide the social and psychological support to others. “We are away from our own families, so, in terms of our own emotional needs, they are real, very real, because we are there for our client”, she said.
Rajinder also expressed how proud she is to be a part of essential key workers during the pandemic and brought up the fact that all care workers working on the frontline deserve to be recognised for the part they play in keeping people safe at home, in the same way as those working in the NHS. “I think what we don’t do, is we don’t use the word social carers in the same light as the NHS staff, and, I think, if I can be that bold, that’s what we need to see.”
When talking about the care provided to her clients, Rajinder reflected on new challenges Covid-19 presented for the elderly clients living with dementia. She gave an example of how not seeing people’s faces through masks could cause feelings of confusion and anxiety for the clients and how carers would have to be ready to effectively respond.
Rajinder carried on saying it was a real testing time for staff and operational resilience. The Good Care Group rose to the challenge to support clients and carers during unprecedented times, by making quick adaptations for new ways of working, introducing physical activity programmes, offering support of counselling and access to medical nurse support, as well as holding face to face online briefings with staff to keep everyone abreast of new rules and regulations.
Speaking to HRH, Prince William, Rajinder also discussed the importance of raising awareness of live-in care as the safest type of care during Covid-19. Live-in care offers a safe alternative to residential and nursing homes to the elderly and those at higher risk of the virus, especially when the current crisis in care homes persists, she highlighted. HRH agreed, by jokingly commenting that Rajinder “stole the point he was coming to”.
At the end of the call, Prince William thanked all social care workers for their tireless work and personal sacrifice, and said that he hopes to see a shift towards attitudes and an appreciation towards the work social care workers do.
Listen to the interview with The Duke of Cambridge below.
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