Community Minded

It's been another long break from the blog for me, I'm afraid. Oops.

We've had so much going on. There have been times whole weeks have gone by in the blink of an eye. I have people to see, places to go, things to do ... but not much else is getting done outside of work, the school run and cleaning the house at the moment.

I was feeling a bit lost towards the end of last year and, while I know my Mum's death had a lot to do with that, a large part of it was also dissatisfaction in my job. For a year now, I've been working in an aged care facility and also doing Community Care. For two or three shifts a fortnight I would work in the facility, but my other shifts were spent visiting people in their homes.

Working in Community is very different to working in a facility and constantly switching between the two can really keep you on your toes. The pace in an aged care facility, with over 60 residents, is quite fast. There are a lot of people to shower, toilet, dress, move into the dining room and back again, organise for activities, etc, etc. The upside is that it is structured; the routine is similar every day and you get to work as part of a team. It's often a fun, supportive environment to work in. The downside is that it's very busy. Doing some paperwork in the office can sometimes seem like a reprieve, rather than a chore ... at least you get to sit down for a few minutes!

Community Care can feel a bit rushed too, but it's more in making sure you get to each person's house on time and fit the tasks required in the time allowed, plus there's paperwork to do in the car in between clients. We're pretty much out there on our own - the mobile phone is our only contact with other staff. The days can be long and there is a lot of driving, which I don't mind really, although I do worry about the wear and tear on my car (using a fleet car is a rare treat). A fair bit of the work is house cleaning, or taking people shopping. I don't much enjoy housework, but what I do like about Community is the variety in tasks and that there is generally more one-on-one time spent with each client. 

Keeping up with what felt like two different jobs meant that I was starting to run down physically and emotionally. I was ready for a change and restless enough to wonder if I should even look at a different industry. Luckily for me, those of us who have been working in both roles were recently given the option of choosing one. The timing couldn't have been better. After some deliberation, I chose Community Care. It came as a surprise to some of the other staff - many of those who started in facility like me have decided that's what they'd prefer to stick to. Working in Community suits me though and I'm back to loving my job again.

The other advantage of Community for me is that the hours are a little more flexible. We currently have the Caveman studying to further his career opportunities, but his course is in another town, an hour away. With him leaving early in the morning to get there on time, I have to be at home to do the school run with the kids (which he used to do). The school run now incorporates getting our youngest to his school and the older two to our local TAFE, which is on the other side of town, so it's great that I've been able to arrange to start work a little later for the time being. The afternoon pickup isn't really an issue; the Caveman is usually home by that time.

Life has been hectic recently, to say the least. On my days off though, I'm finally sorting the house out. 20+ years and three kids adds up to a lot of clutter! But that may be a whole other blog post...