As the govt is cutting down on oversea immigration carers visas, maybe they could work out a system of training up our own medical students. They could pay off their student loans by acting as carers, that way getting valuable experience about people in their own homes and how to care for them. I imagine that is a good way of deciding whether the medical profession is what they really want to do. After all they can’t all be doctors in hospitals or GP’s, some will need jobs while adapting from learning to doing,
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My mum had some lovely carers from overseas, especially Eastern Europe. Many had health related qualifications but needed to improve their English before being allowed to work here. Mum was one of their favourite clients as she would help their spoken English and grammar. They were better than English carers, well motivated. These are the people we need.
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I agree, but it would also be nice to help the students here get experience. Sad for those who may not be able to come over here though.
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I agree, I also think that doctors once qualified here should be required to work in the
NHS for a period of time.
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I agree @bowlingbun I know of a doctor who qualified and then moved to Australian cos he said he would get about 50% higher pay over there from day one!
A friend is currently just doing his final exam before he is fully qualified and he’s also mentioned Oz or New Zealand as being better places. Hmmmm!
We had one day of a “carer” from SS who was so rude and off hand G was so upset he begged me not to let her come back again - she was from Kenya and I was afraid they would say we were racist. Tried chatting to her and talking about what a lovely holiday we had in Kenya and how friendly we found everyone and how we’d love to go back again to experience more of the culture instead of just being ‘tourists’… However, we BOTH got the vibes that when she realised we are a couple her prejudices kicked in. Just a feeling but I am not often wrong after experiencing homophobia throughout my life.
The only issue I would have about using students for Carers would be how much basic training they would receive and how they would be supervised. Also how would some people react to someone under (say) 20 coming in to their home to provide personal care. Yes, I know student nurses and HCA’s do that in hospital and care home settings, but there is a slight difference. Just my own observation.
While G was in hospital last year there was a student nurse - cant have been more than 18/19 and he was amazing. He certainly fitted the role. Nothing was too much trouble; not phased by anything and willing to do whatever was needed to help. I gave great feedback to the Head Nurse as he shone out amongst some of the other staff! Perfect for the Profession and I hope he keeps the values he had.
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I think most students would want to be more like a paid carer than a unpaid carer. listering to the news this morning about this thing about visa and foriegin people doing the work in the uk, The woman from nusing was saying about how they are at the end of the paid scale and do a lot of hard work and extra time, I thought yes you might do that but what about us carers we should be trained as nurses or as full paid carers. they get trainned and paid and there us with not many skills end up with us paying for training if we can get onto a course or can;t get on one as we are not reconse as carers.
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…and we unpaid Carers are often BETTER than most of the paid staff and we understand and cope with situations most of them could never deal with. All without pay, holidays or pension plans… Do I sound bitter? I do hope so !
You are right - students WOULD want pay of some sort. They wouldn’t see it as part of their education!
Chris, I agree absolutely. No one considers our well being or our qualifications. Now I’m a pensioner I see my best friend with identical qualifications to me having a wonderful time as she has a great civil service pension. We get nothing for all the years I spent as a carer. 16 years without one child free day except when I had surgery in hospital! Health ruined forever.
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@Michael_1910123 It is 24/7 363 days a year for us too. No paid staff would put up with this. But we ‘sleep walk’ into it and then cannot get out. If I had my life again I would NOT have had my husband back after the acute on chronic brain haematoma back in 2013.
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