Our supervisor for the last 25 years Anne Jacquier features in the Irish Daily Mail today discussing the pressures of Covid-19 while working as a care home assistant. Despite the risks like many others Anne has committed to continuing to help those who need her. “I could never step away from something like this. My clients are an extension of my family.”
Full Article, Irish daily Mail, 7 April 2020
Helping people is something that Anne Jacquier has been doing for the last 25 years as a supervisor and carer at Bray Home Care in Co. Wicklow.. In fact, the Covid-19 crisis does little to change the working routine, but the stress and pressure has intensified.
‘As a home helper we constantly practice hand hygiene, and deal daily with personal protective equipment like aprons, gloves, napisacks etc. It’s extremely difficult now because the majority of our clients are in the venerable age group. The youngest is 67 and the eldest is late 90s.
Most of Jaquier’s visits last about 50 minutes, depending of what is needed for the client.
‘Some might need personal care – help with bedbath or shower, and as the work would involve moving a patient from a bed, that would need two carers in close contact. Int hose situations it’s impossible to maintain social distancing.’ she says
Although the HSE have stated that mask wearing is not compulsory, Jacquier says that many of the carers choose to at the moment as they are going to work and then coming home to families.
‘I’m just coming home to my husband but I don’t want to put him at risk, so I protect myself as mush as I can, A lot of my colleagues have children, older parents, so it’s very worrying. We are in such close proximity to others. it’s hard not to worry.
Not only is she dealing with people who are high-risk, but some of her clients are not fully understanding of Covid.
‘Some of our clients have dementia and Alzheimers, and they are not able to practise good hand hygiene or cough etiquette. That’s why it is so important to feel protected with wearing a mask. We haven’t had to deal with any cases at the moment, but we also have clients with COPD and lung cancer and they are so terrible worried. Everyone wants to talk about it.’ she says
Despite the risks, Jacquier is committed to continuing to help those who need her. She has, she says developed bonds with her clients ans is concerned for their wellbeing.
‘I could never step away from something like this. My clients are like an extension of family’ says Jacquier who’s work includes end-of-life care
‘It’s a job that I chose, and it’s not for everybody, she adds. It requires dedication and empathy. it’s one of life’s silent jobs, but an essential one.’
