Rosie Straffon

In this role, I worked within a small team, which were predominately myself and another staff member, to provide person-centred care to individuals in their own homes. This role focused on supporting individuals to regain their independence following discharges from hospital, respite or within general changes to their health.

My role was to assist with personal care, incontinence, mobility and medication following a MAR chart should it be required.

We would also safeguard these individuals should we feel it was required, not limited to themselves or others in the property.

We also were utilised to provide support with wellbeing throughout the night, attending unplanned emergency call outs and supporting the community nursing team for the North and South regions. I also provided support to the individuals attended, treating them with dignity, reassurance and the care and respect they deserve, all whilst maintaining high levels of professionalism and adhering to health and safety procedures.

Key Duties:

• Administered medication as prescribed, ensuring optimal health.
• Ensured patient comfort by providing personal care services.
• Assisted with personal hygiene to ensure health and wellbeing.
• Promoted independence for disabled individuals through assistance with daily tasks.
• Safely lifted, transferred and repositioned service users using hoists and wheelchairs.
• Monitored individual's physical and emotional wellbeing, promptly reporting changes and providing suggestions for care plan adjustments.

In this role, I worked as an enhanced care assistant, stationed between three sheltered accommodation facilities for the over 55s. This service provided 24/7 care for individuals and older adults with deteriorating or advanced needs, ensuring that they were kept as independent for as long as possible, but in a safe and dignified manner. This ensured the service users safety, comfort and their own wellbeing.

Prior to working in sheltered accommodation, I was a community care assistant, but loved the rapport I built working to support the same service users and seeing how my input could make such a difference.

Care and support in this role was provided to support individuals with a wide range of conditions, including but not limited too, dementia, epilepsy, diabetes, physical disabilities, at home oxygen requirements and those requiring palliative care.

Some key duties I had in this role was to:

• Assist service users with personal care needs such as washing, dressing, their continence care, including catheters and with mobility support, prompting individuals to use aids if required to promote independence.
• Safely carried out moving and handling procedures using equipment such as hoists and slide sheets following the correct manual handling techniques and ensuring high qualities of health and safety for myself and service users.
• Administered or prompted medication in line with care plans and policies, accurately documenting and recording compliance or non-compliance.
• Prepared meals and supported residents with nutrition and hydration, inline with care plans and requirements.
• Monitored residents' health and wellbeing, reporting concerns or changes to senior staff or healthcare professionals. This included safeguarding, working with multi-disciplinary teams and other agencies including palliative care, nursing teams, social services and families.
• Maintained accurate care records and followed safeguarding, infection control, and health & safety procedures.
• Provided emotional support and companionship, promoting dignity, independence, and quality of life throughout, including those service users on palliative care.

I also undertook many continued development and training sessions, including with palliative care and medicine, first aid at work, nutrition and hydration of service users, caring for the vulnerable adults, safeguarding and many more.