I have been re-reading Anna Arstein-Kerslake’s book, Restoring Voice to People with Cognitive Disabilities. And it has made me reflect on the adults I care for as a live-in carer. Many of them live with cognitive disabilities such as dementia or the after-effects of stroke. Although their situations may not precisely align with the examples in the book, the central principle still applies. We must see each person as a whole individual, not as a diagnosis or condition.
You know what really gets me? When people talk about getting older, they always throw around numbers – like turning 70 or 80 is some deadline where everything falls apart. But working in live-in care has completely changed how I see all this.
Continue reading “Ageing Isn’t Just About Age—It’s About Ability, Dignity, and Voice”
When I first came to the UK and started working as a live-in carer, I thought it would be temporary—just for a couple of years—before returning home or doing something different. That was more than a decade ago. What I didn’t realise then was just how live-in care changes the carer—not suddenly, but slowly, deeply, and in ways you only recognise with time.
Continue reading “How Live-in Care Changes the Carer”
I recently came across an article in The Guardian about individuals being turned away from state-funded social care due to funding shortages. Never thought I would find myself writing on a topic with political undertones—but as a carer, I see the real impact. I see what it does to families who have support, and I see the emotional and physical toll when they don’t. What’s unfolding isn’t just a funding issue—it’s a growing crisis that undermines dignity in adult care.
Continue reading “The Fight for Dignity in Adult Care: A Carer’s Perspective”