To celebrate good care as part of Home Care Day 2017, we share an interview with one of Home Instead Glasgow North’s CAREGivers Ines Garcia-Pena
Ines Garcia Pena has been a CAREGiver at Home Instead Senior Care Glasgow North now for just over six months. She’s providing vital support for seven of our regular clients who she’s visiting several times a week.
Ines goes out and cares for our lovely clients in their own homes, helping them with everything from companionship to help around the house and personal care.
All of this enables them to stay independent for much longer ensuring a better quality of life.
Here at Home Instead Senior Care, we focus on a personal and friendly experience and we want to be so much more than just a service. We want to be that person our clients look forward to seeing every day and Ines plays a huge role in achieving that.
What did you do prior to starting with Home Instead?
In my native country of Venezuela, I was an employment solicitor and I used to negotiate collective agreements and arbitrate conflicts between employers and employees/unions.
Here in Scotland, I have mainly been a full-time mum to my two daughters, although a couple of years ago I worked in the care sector looking after at risk children and young adults.
Why did you decide to be a home care worker?
I wanted to help our clients to have the best quality of life possible and I firmly believe that there is nothing that can guarantee this as much as continuing to live in their home amongst all familiar surroundings and treasured memories.
What does your job mainly involve?
Some of my clients require personal assistance, i.e. Bathing and dressing, whereas for others I support with meals preparation or companionship. As the care provided by Home Instead is individualised according to the needs or requirement of each of our clients, no two shifts or days are ever the same.
Are your clients able to get out and about when you’re not visiting them?
Most of my clients have beautiful families that look after them, take them out to various places and if possible on holidays.
There is one very regular client who insists on going out in whatever weather to get her shopping, she loves her independence and her ability to still take care of herself!
Do you prefer being a home care worker, rather than working in a care home?
Of course! People are always happier at home.
What is the best thing about being a home care worker?
There are many things, but I think for me is the privilege of getting to know them and to share their memories with me. They have such wonderful stories to tell, I love just sitting down and listening to their experiences, adventures and life in general.
Being a CAREGiver for Home Instead has enriched my life in so many ways and getting to know these incredible individuals has been a true honour.
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