Memoirs of a Care Worker

The year 2020 brought with it a lot of unexpected upsets that cut across all homes and industries
requiring government and individuals to take drastic actions necessary for the survival of everyone.
A pandemic induced by the outbreak of Covid-19 sent shockwaves around the world giving it the tag
of “global pandemic”. The pandemic affected health workers physically and psychologically. Health
workers were saddled with the herculean responsibility of ensuring the survival of their residents
and themselves.
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I work as a care giver here at Prospect House a care home in South Yorkshire, England. We offer a
24-hour support and care to those who are living with dementia. People with dementia demonstrate
symptoms such as memory loss, slow thinking speed, and difficulty in speaking which impede them
from going about their daily activities effectively. Dementia is more common among older people.
As a staff member, I ensure we put in place mechanisms that help residents cope with their daily
lives. I commence as early as possible whenever I’m on morning shift, to team up with my colleagues
and begin work for the day. Our care routine was the same every day, until the Covid-19 pandemic
caused a disruption in our daily activities at the care home, making everyone adjust accordingly.
The Covid-19 global pandemic hit a lot of industries in a way that was never envisioned, and the
health sector was not spared. Covid-19 did the unsavoury job of eclipsing all other health conditions.
Attention was shifted from patients in hospitals and other health centres to patients of the
Coronavirus disease.
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Several safety precautions had to be put in place within the home to ensure everyone’s safety. The
use of face mask became a routine for us caregivers and residents alike. The culture of social
distancing was instilled into our daily working lives, and even more regular washing of hands became
a norm.
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It was particularly challenging taking care of our residents as there was lockdown and movement
was restricted. The nature of our job involves having physical contact with residents but this time
around, it had to be restricted so as to reduce the risk of infection from one person to another. The
Covid-19 I must say, changed the entirety of care.
During the lockdown, the care home made provisions for visiting, we constructed a visiting pod so
that it was possible for people to visit their family members at the care home. Also, visitors were
made to observe all the necessary protocols for gaining entry into the care home during visiting
hours.
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As a result of the lockdown, I spent more time at the care home enabling me to bond more with
residents. Covid changed my outlook towards care and life in general. The Period of the lockdown
was a time when we needed to show our residents how much they matter to us. Death tolls made
headlines daily during this period, and there were rising tension all over the world.
2020 was a demanding year for us health workers and caregivers. It was a year there was a paradigm
shift in the way the health sector operates and in which we were saddled with the onerous task of
working to ensure the survival of our residents, our families and ourselves. Though the battle against
Coronavirus is far from over; I am optimistic the current year will be a much better year and with the
breakthrough of the vaccine – We have hope.
Rest in peace all my residents who lost their fight, your memory will live on.

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