The Labrador

Labradors were first introduced into the UK in the late 

1800s by the Earl of Malmsbury and Col Peter Hawke 

Labrador Retrievers have consistently been one of the 

most popular family pets both in the UK.

Originally bred to retrieve nets for fishermen and then 

game and fowl for hunters, the Labrador Retriever excels 

when asked to work in difficult and challenging terrains

www.Pets4Home.com.

On average, a Labrador Retriever will have a lifespan 

of about 12 to 12 1/2 years. Recent studies have suggested 

the yellow and Black Labradors will live longer than 

Chocolate Labradors, which only live to 10.7 years on 

average https://www.rspca.org.uk/Animal Welfare Charity 

in the UK | RSPCA

Most clients have dogs

According to Animals - the amazing world of dogs The 

Siberian Husky is a dog breed that originated from Siberia 

and later brought to Nome Alaska for sled-dog racing. It's

a medium-sized dog at about 20 to 24 inches tall, 

weighing between 35 to 60 pounds. The average lifespan 

of the Siberian Husky is around 12 to 15 years. 

I loved these dogs, most clients have them

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LIVE IN JOBS VIEWED IN THE CARERS LENS

Live in, is when I live in someone property for an agreed 

time frame. This is the time I provide personal care, assist 

various jobs in their homes.

I have worked for NHS for a couple of years, doing 

various jobs. I know there are people out there who have 

done so much, but everybody has their journey and this 

time it is mine.

As a registered mental health nurse, the focus is more 

on the nursing side, which takes a lot of dedication and 

time to have experience and to be qualified. These studies 

were done at the University of Wolver Hampton and the 

other studies, that always stick to your mind. Which I did, 

and I am proud although it was hard, but I did it.

DEMENTIA

Dementia is not a specific decease but rather a general 

term for the impaired ability to remember or think 

www.cdc.gov.aging dementia

Working with clients who are affected by this disease 

can be challenging and it varies from person to person. 

This becomes worse when an individual cannot remember 

the family or mistakes them for someone else.

I have worked with clients with Dementia in hospital 

and residential areas.

This is a dreadful disease, at times they can not do 

much for themselves I have worked in a hospital which 

was a purpose-built care home, divided into two 

independent units for residential clients with dementia.

Now I do a lot of live-in jobs as a carer. Whereby I 

live in someone's property for required time frame for the 

purpose of caring; cooking and housekeeping. Mainly it's 

clients with Dementia. who need assistance with day-today living.

This is normally done through an agency, that books 

you in, then sends details, which is normally by email.

There will be also care plan which you will follow. This 

document with all the detailed information, which covers the 

clients' holistic needs before you commence the job: This 

could be a family of professionals, and all this information 

will be in their care plan. It will also cover what they enjoyed 

previously, what they used to do e.g. jobs, this will include 

travelling in the pat before they had this illness.

Sometimes when the client gets sick some relatives find 

it hard to cope with them. Some sent to available facilities 

e.g. a homes, that specializes in that area of illness. Or get a 

live in care to live with their loved ones, in their home, Live 

in carers are there, those that to provide personal care. Even 

helping with all house hold jobs.

When travelling to a required I normally have a lot of 

luggage: public transport can be inconvenient in this 

respect. Getting a bus from Oxford to work can be 

challenging. Once I get to the train station, at times the 

trains can be de delayed or cancelled, and normally when I 

bought a ticket. I'd be asked if I was moving house.

People would usually assume that a person with a 

rucksack and a suitcase on the train, would be moving 

house or going on holiday; in my case, I would simply be 

travelling to my next job as a live-in carer.

Public transport can be challenging at times; it's either 

the train has been cancelled or if you manage to get a seat, 

there will be people who like to put their feet up by the seats 

or at times it gets too full, especially in the times after the 

pandemic. Covid 19 made public transport inconvenient, due 

to a high number of people. In the crowd, someone may have 

symptoms, such as feverish temperature continuous cough, 

and shortness of breath and will never know.

Getting into the train, sometimes I get lucky, as people 

tend to help me to carry my suitcases inside.

Most of the time I get booked for two weeks, 

sometimes longer but when the this pandemic started I 

stayed longer that was in April. Which I did not expect, 

the travelling became an issue, and it affected everyone. 

The public transport was a big affected everyone, It 

became a nightmare to everyone Manly care givers had to 

remain on one place.

The younger son came to pick me up from the train 

station, this booking was done through and agency on 

arrival to the house, she was standing by the kitchen 

window. Brief introductions where made, by her younger 

son.

He grown up children one was living abroad, had the 

other living local. The was no girl in this family, only 

daughters-in-laws. She seemed ok a during this introduction. 

There was a dog black which was a Labrador dog, I was fond 

of this dog. There was a big black Labrador, it was very 

friendly. At times she would feed the dog her food, although 

the dog would have eaten already it. Outside there was the 

dog bed, even in the kitchen.

The son showed me around the house, the room where 

I was going to be sleeping, All the bedroom where 

upstairs, the stairs were not that wide few steps going up. 

Her bedroom was opposite mine, it had a double bed 

facing the garden. There was two separate toilets up-stairs, 

there was another toilet which was downstairs, just 

opposite the television lounge. Upstairs there was another 

room opposite to where I was sleeping. Which I 

understood, the other son uses when he visits. There were 

two separate shower rooms, and a bathroom.

The house had five reasonable big bedrooms, upstairs. 

Most of the bedroom had her children's clothes although 

they were grown up and had their own families. The 

garden had arch entrance leading to this well cut loan, it 

was immaculate, cut by the gardener who I understood 

had been with the family for a lengthy time. Due to size of 

the hedge he used to sit on tractor to trim the hedge, on 

regular basis. The garden was stretching for miles, there 

was also a pond with ducks and I enjoyed watching them 

swim. We did not spent time in the kitchen, but at the 

conservatory. In the conservatory there was a table. On 

top of this tables, there were a lot of photos scattered 

everywhere. From what I understood some photos were 

taken when they went on holiday as a family. This was 

before, the husband passed away. which I was made aware 

on the later stage. There was of plenty family photos, 

scattered everywhere, in the conservatory somewhere in 

where piles. I asked the son to buy her an album, so we 

both can organized these. In there, a toy horse and a doll 

house. There was a place where it appeared they kept a 

Parrot, but was not there anymore There was there was a 

four-seater, the floors tiles were black and white.

In the conservatory there was a doll house and a statue 

of a horse. Her son who picked up from the train station, 

played a played a piano. This instrument was in one of the 

rooms leading to the conservatory.

The garden had so was mainly roses, they covered 

most of the garden, I loved them these are normally have 

big petals. There was also a stable for horse, but there was 

no horse.

There was a feeding station, for wild birds we both fed 

them. Sometimes we both watered the garden I was very 

fond of a certain flower which this lady loved.

Her son visited regularly, played a piano, we would 

dance, he had a very nice car, he would both take us for a 

ride. Few occasions he would come with his family, and 

could stayed for have dinner. This was mainly over the 

weekend. He also did a lot of shopping for his mother. 

When they came to visit, we could and play games by the 

table, although she struggled to engage. When it was time 

for dinner we prayed around the table which was in her 

Kitchen. The day that I remember clearly, Is when there 

was a bat came to kitchen, I was not sure how long this 

bird was there? Was it living in the house?

I have not seen it before, this happed so quickly, as 

soon after finishing eating our dinner. I was scared and 

she appeared not. She was now the one carrying the 

broom where as before it was me. I was hiding behind her, 

and she kept telling me not to be scared. I was associating 

this bat with witches so genuinely worried and scared for 

both. Presumably it was an was old house.

There was a pond with ducks, this pond was situated in 

their land. They had a gardener who kept the lawn maculate, 

I loved walking around for fresh air, out side. The was a wild 

bird station, this is where both could fed the wild birds. The 

garage was specious, it was easy to fit three cars, above the 

garage there was also rooms which were empty.

This son appeared to doing very well financially. He was 

living a bit far from her, he owned a farm which they kept: 

horses. Goats, chicken, parrots and dogs they seem to be a 

lot. They also had other properties which ran a Band B hotel. 

When we visited the place, it was kept spotless clean. We 

spent an Easter afternoon, played games, egg hunt and it was 

mainly chocolates. We had barbeque that after noon. It was 

nice to see this family together.

His house was big he had two daughters who were 

still in their teenager years. They had lot of dogs, but I can 

recall their breed. They had two Parrots. He did the 

shopping frequently for her, as well to seeing his mother. 

During these short visit he would play the piano, and bring 

all the shopping inside the house.

This local shop was slightly far, there was not much in 

this shop, it was beyond walking distance. The 

newspapers already prepaid. We picked it everyday.

The other son lived abroad, and came to visit once, 

when I was there.

We got on well with this lady but, in the beginning it was 

challenging. She would ask me when I would be leaving, her 

house? She believed there was not enough space. She 

believed her sons were still in school, this normally would 

happen during the late hours of the day. I was the main carer, 

she could sit in the kitchen while I peeled the potatoes, her 

concentration was not so good, only when she was sitting in 

the car together listening to the radio. We had lot of chats 

when we walked around, on random topics, she was not keen 

on that. She loved to stay indoors, combing her constantly, 

sadly I could not do that for her

We walked by the garden, which were well kept, This 

family bought for me a car to drive her around due to her 

poor mobility at time we both watered her plants, which 

were in the green house. The car had radio inside; we 

played classical music, mainly Pavarotti. She never sang 

most of the time she would sleep in the car. The car was 

very convenient as I did not have a vehicle. We could go 

to the local market to buy vegetables, but this had a 

purpose to enable her to come outside., she was not keen 

on doing so. There was also The local the market which 

was every Wednesday, this supermarket sold newspapers 

and few essentials.

I remember when it was Easter they buried a lot of 

eggs in their huge garden we looked around they 

where chocolates. I enjoyed being there although in the 

beginning it was not easy, specially the women, and we 

had go and hunt for them, we also played Bantom's game 

later we had barbeque 

She had two sons who visited regularly, although the 

other son lived abroad and I saw him once when he came 

to visit her. We went shopping together and we took turns 

in cooking; it was a very nice atmosphere. During dinner 

we all could sit in the kitchen, which had a big table in the 

middle and I encouraged them to thank the Lord for the 

food which we ate. This was a very lovey family

When a care package is available, it varies; it can be 

companionship or hands on care. I have not done the 

companionship care packages. Patients with dementia 

struggle to recognize their loved ones. At times when there 

are photos around, we always look at these together.

The statement that got me was, "I want to have a 

bath. Are there any towels around? Can you please 

take my watch off as I don't want it to get wet."

I knew this could be due to his illness and that was hard.

I found talking to them very beneficial although they 

might mention something that you don't know, and the 

family can help if they have anyone who is still alive. To 

clarify this as it could be true invest that could have 

happened in the past, At times it helps so much to talk 

about things they have done in the past and if you know a 

holiday and places they have been and it's nice to let them 

talk about these things; I try not to intervene when they 

tell me the stories of their lives.

If the client is a man, he might mention a military career, 

or the things he did before he got ill. It is nice to see the 

individuals, not just the patient or client, but who they were 

before the illness, before they developed. At times we played 

cards and showed them family photos which were normally 

by their family albums, in their homes.

Living in someone's property is very difficult, This 

could be our individualities, even our food preference, are 

not the same eg I like mine with spice, where as other 

doesn't even Our standards of life all differ.

Providing personal care to the clients within their 

homes, it's the tough one. Sometimes can be poor 

mobility. Other client, may need assistance to take their 

prescribed pills they might refuse them at times it can 

These care needs are based on who is struggling more, it 

can be both helping them with full body wash this will 

involve showering. Some clients have difficulties with 

their bowel movements, at time this can affect both.

The care package of 2021 was about a gentlemen, 

diagnosis cancer. This illness I am not very familiar with.

When I arrived the other carer was already waiting for 

me by the train station. The place was a very old 

bungalow, which this couple lived. The care was just for 

the gentleman, although at times I could also assist the 

wife, who was very mobile. There was there was a 

Labrador dog which was beautiful.

Most of the bedrooms where upstairs, I also had a room. 

In this bedroom window I could see a lot of trees, the soil 

appeared very fertile. This it reminded me back home. Some 

of the leaves had fallen down, carpeted the ground, with 

these leaves, it was autumn. There was stream outside, a 

women, who came once a week to attended the who did the 

garden, cleared all the leaves. A staff to fed wild birds was 

located near the dining-room window, out side in the garden. 

I liked place to feed squirrels with nuts.

This house had a cellar where the wine bottles where 

kept, occasionally I would be asked to pick a bottle from 

there, they had a variety of alcohol. I can say he was genuine 

nice man, who had a lovely dog. This job was full-hands 

care, bed bathing helping, to dress and applied cream to his 

body. Most of the creams were on prescription.

I loved to take the dog for a walk, there were so many 

places to go. The dog followed me everywhere, at times 

this dog could climb their stairs and come to the bedroom 

where I was sleeping.

As the slogan goes, the dog is for life, and not just for 

Christmas.