Feeling inspired

Gemma Wain was so inspired by the home support Caremark Doncaster provided to her grandfather Ernie she decided to join the company herself.

“I helped to care for my grandad, so I often saw the Caremark team close up,” said Gemma.

“Thanks to them he was able to live in his own home and when he passed away, I thought care was something I could do and joining the team would be a nice way to remember him.”

At college Gemma had studied horse care and after leaving worked in various retail jobs. She found the one-to-one personal skills she developed in cafes, bars and a shoe shop have proved useful in the care sector.

“For some of the clients we might be the only people they see all day and they tell me how much they look forward to me calling,” said Gemma.

“I’m from the area and customers like to chat about their memories and experiences locally. It brings me a lot of joy to see someone smile when you arrive, the difference you can make to someone’s day.”

Gemma, 28, firmly believes keeping people active is a vital aspect of home care support and that can include getting out of the house.

She gave the example of an older lady who now enjoys weekly trips to the local library to read stories to local school children.

“We do not want customers to just sit in a corner and deteriorate so finding something active that they enjoy is important,” said Gemma.

“This lady is 92 and an ex-teacher, she really enjoys reading the stories and the kids love it, they come straight over when they see her.”

All staff receive training in first aid and the correct way to lift and move people before starting and support is always at hand. Gemma believes you will know within a short time if the job is right for you.

“You need to have a caring nature, lots of patience and communication skills,” she said.

“When you are trying to keep people active, using the right tone is important. Forceful or rushed won’t work, you need to be encouraging and supportive.”

click here for more details or to contact Caremark Doncaster, Bassetlaw and West Lindsey