Live in care worker: 77-year-old told me 'I was her best friend'

Bozenna Zalewska says people employed in home care shouldn't be afraid to "give their heart", which is how she changed the life of a woman she cared for.

Born in Poland and living for 34 years in Greece, Ms Zalewska has 10 years’ experience working as a live-in care assistant in Athens. After arriving in the UK a year ago this July, she started working for Bluebird Care and moved into the house of 77-year-old *Joan.

Suffering from swollen legs after a fall on a cruise holiday last year, Joan was taken to a German hospital. She was then transferred to a nunnery before being sent on to a care home and eventually back home.

Ms Zalewska says: “It was my job to make Joan feel safe.”

Living 24/7 in Joan's home, Ms Zalewska liaised with doctors and applied an ointment to Joan’s legs, which quickly healed them and within two and a half weeks Joan was a lot happier.

“She was telling me I was her best friend. If you give them love and support you will see progress with your client.”

Her efforts led to her receiving a ‘Live-in Care Assistant of the Month’ award from Bluebird Care. Her Live in Care manager Liz Wilson said: “She has truly improved the life of her customer both physically and mentally. Her customer is a completely different person to before Christmas and it is a delight to see the positive difference that Bozenna has made.

“This change has been through persistence and patience. It is a really great demonstration of the difference live in care can make”.

Employed by Bluebird Care (Tonbridge & Tunbridge Wells), Ms Zalewska now lives in the house of an 87-year-old man named *Matthew. When Matthew wakes at around 7am, Ms Zalewska helps him to wash, get dressed and makes his breakfast.

She prepares home-cooked meals from scratch every day including healthy quiches and lots of fruit and vegetables. She also likes to bake him a cake once a week.

After Matthew is assisted to take his medication, Ms Zalewska gives him his newspaper to read. Both Matthew and Ms Zalewska have a shared love of reading - he with newspapers and she with books.

They then begin to walk around the house to strengthen his limbs. “He’s walking with a frame. I was trying to take him to the garden but he is afraid he will fall down.”

Matthew once fell down in the garden and was found lying outside the house, when he was living alone at home. To help Matthew walk in the garden, his son-in-law visits between 2-4pm, and Ms Zalewska takes her break.

She has dinner ready for 6pm and at 7pm she helps Matthew get ready for bed.

“My parents are faraway. I can’t be with them all the time, all day long. Think like they are your mother or father, you have to give your heart. Yesterday I was 16-years-old, today I am 59. I will need care in future”. She feels having a supportive manager who reassures her that she is doing the right thing also helps.

For people considering a job as a live-in care assistant she says: “It’s not for someone who just wants to earn some money. I would advise only people who are passionate and love older people to be a live-in carer. Seeing people happy and progress. For me, it is so worth it.”

• homecare.co.uk has a variety of home care jobs ranging from live-in carers to management roles within the sector. To view these go to homecare.co.uk/jobs

*Names of clients mentioned above have been changed.