TOPIC: Support People?

Are support people your friends or they are paid to be your friend, do you call your support person Mr or Mrs even though they are younger than you?

From a carers point , in Scotland, we are told to be professional and not get so close,this is mainly to protect ourselves as some clients can be off with us, however that doesn't always work, how can you not get close to someone you care or support everyday (just my opinion, not everyone will think like me) i work for the council in my area, I love my work and the people I care for, I was recently moved to a different rota so my clients are all different now , but I still keep in touch with people I used to work with, they all call me by my first name and I call them by their first names , I visited one of my old clients last week and had coffee with him , made sure he didn't need shopping etc and I will again , it helps to have a mutual respect , and I have a laugh with most of the people I see

My Sister works in a care home and is a carer to several different people, she told me you can't help but close to some of them even though she knows they are going to pass soon. She goes to most of their funerals as she has got close to the families and feels it would be rude not to go. I couldn't do her job having to care for these people watching them get weaker and sicker until they pass away. I know she gets close to them as we both have a huge heart and have so much love to give to humans and animals. I know for a fact she has stayed late at work more than a few times to be with one of her patients. She is my hero. Also when I'm not well she has come by in her dinner hour to check in on me, so I don't tell her anymore if I'm feeling poorly because I want her to have her dinner hour!

As a caregiver it is difficult to not be invested and actually care for the person. I've had clients where it is professional and about meeting their needs only and I've had clients where it feels like I am simply hanging out with a friend. I can see why the money may make you doubt a relationship but I really do think a real friendship can be established. One of my current clients who I will be leaving in August because I'm going to school in another state I plan on visiting when I'm back in the area. Recently I had a client who was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer 2 months after working for the family. I ended up working everyday for hours in her final months and was we became very close, like a grandmother/granddaughter type of relationship. Although it was very hard on me when she passed I know that the authenticity of our time together meant a lot to her (and me) and that's why I chose to become a professional care provider. I also only call people with how they ask me to refer to them or what name is used when I am introduced to them. I've never had someone ask me to use Mrs/Mr. People are people and money cannot control feelings!

Carers are hero's to me, it's a hard job and can be very emotionally draining, I know this from my sister who I mentioned. When I see her she is tired and even though she is tired she has had a good day. I've told her this a few times but I will say this I think he was born to do the job as she is a strong person and yet has a lot love to give. She has recently been promoted to Supervisor of the care home and yet she insisted that she was still going to be on the job and she takes her paperwork home with her to do in the evening. She's lucky to have such a caring husband who doesn't mind her taking her work home with her!! Last year she even went to night school and did a course in medicine and injectable drugs and C.P.R so she can now medicate her patients, give them injections and also if a patients heart stops she can resuscitate and use the defibrillator to help them survive.