'Thanks Dad': Daughter pays tribute to late father who inspired her to become a carer aged 56

Having worked in the NHS for many years, Shirley Andrew made a difficult decision to take a career break and become a full-time carer for her father who had Parkinson's disease.

During those five years, she realised that caring "came completely naturally" to her, and after his death, became determined to make it her full-time career.

The 58-year-old said: “I saw so many gaps in care for the elderly. There are thousands of people, like my dad who just need companionship, someone to talk to and take an interest in them and their lives. It was something that had come completely naturally to me but in my mind, being a carer was something very different and I discounted it."

She added: "I’d always thought of care as helping people who need to be taken to the toilet or helped into bed each evening but what I was doing was sitting and talking to Dad, going to the supermarket or helping with some housework. I feel privileged to have spent that time with him, and in many ways, I got to know more about my dad in those days than I might otherwise have done."

Hitting rock bottom

Although the mother-of-one felt she had "a lot to offer" with a strong CV, she was told otherwise. After numerous interviews for a range of caregiving roles, none led to a job offer.

"The real ‘what’s the point’ moment was when I went for a job as a GP receptionist and I was told that I had been out of that working environment for so long I would need to fully re-train in all areas of office work as I was classed as unskilled," she said. "It came as a huge shock and it really affected my self-esteem and confidence, which both hit rock bottom. So I drifted along with a few cleaning jobs, feeling pretty much that that was how the rest of my working life was going to pan out."

Never looked back

Whilst reading her local paper, Ms Andrew saw an advert for Home Instead.

"It reignited that spark," she said. “I just thought, why not try. By then I was 56-years-old and I had nothing to lose."

In March 2016, after completing her training, Ms Andrew started work as a CAREGiver and has never looked back.

She works four days a week and cares for six clients, one of which is centenarian Peggy.

"We giggle a lot when we’re together, which is lovely," she explained. "She doesn’t always remember who I am but I remind her that ‘I’m that nuisance lady who comes on a Wednesday’ and I’ll get the familiar giggle and smile from her."

The simplest of things

Ms Andrew begins her week visiting Jill and Paul. She spends an hour and a half with the couple on a Tuesday, who more often than not, enjoy completing 500 piece puzzles and taking a trip down memory lane.

"We talk about all sorts," said Ms Andrew. "We will laugh about things they’ve remembered or stories about how they met at a dance in London over 60 years ago. I feel so privileged that they share stories with me of their lives, that they’re relaxed enough in my company to share. You learn such a lot from hearing about their lives, their childhood, how things compare to now. They don’t think they’ve led interesting lives but I could listen to them for hours."

She also visits 84-year-old Carol, who is living with dementia and often needs help with household duties such as washing and cleaning.

"Spending our time together doing things she loves puts me on such a high," revealed Ms Andrew. "It’s often the simplest things. When we went to Blenheim, she spotted the miniature train and told me she’d not been on it for years, so we went on it! She beamed from start to finish.

"You’ve just got to look at her smile and twinkly eyes and I wonder how this can be a job. She’ll often just stand stock-still, hold my arm and thank me for doing it; being about to bring clients so much pleasure is just perfect."

'I'm just an 'ordinary joe' who's struck lucky'

Reflecting on her new career, Ms Andrew says she "just loves the whole thing" adding "I’ve never once had Monday blues."

She commented:"My husband and my daughter have noticed how much happier this job has made me. My daughter said to me earlier this year, ‘I’m so proud of you mum’. There’s not much more I can ask for than that. They knew how low I was feeling before I got this job and they’ve seen the difference it’s made. You definitely get far more back than you put in.

“I’m just an ‘ordinary joe’ who’s struck lucky and found my niche in life. I don’t see me doing anything other than this job for the rest of my life – I’ll even carry on beyond retirement age, why not?

“Who’d have known that caring for my dad for the last five years of his life would have led to something so positive - thanks Dad, you’ve changed my life in ways you never knew.”

• homecare.co.uk has a huge range of home care related jobs in its jobs section ranging from personal care assistants to management roles within the sector. To view these go to homecare.co.uk/jobs