Care worker uses tech to transform life of woman who shut herself off from everyone

Bluebird Care York has praised one of its care workers for transforming the life of a client diagnosed with schizophrenia with the help of his tablet and Facebook.

Care worker Dave Finch joined Bluebird Care two years ago. After being introduced to his client Kath, his concerns about her becoming isolated and refusing to answer the door to him or her family became so great he turned to technology to help transform her life.

’We are so proud of Dave who has literally turned Kath’s life around’

Mr Finch told homecare.co.uk: “I joined Bluebird Care and I love it. One of my customers Kath has schizophrenia. When she is having a bad episode, she will shut herself off from everyone including her family and friends. At times like this she wouldn’t answer the door or the phone which makes caring for her difficult."

Mr Finch tried to think of ways to help his client deal with the difficulties she had. One day, Mr Finch turned up with his own tablet for his client to try and taught Kath how to get signed up on Facebook and how to search for her family.

He said: “Kath was thrilled and so were her family as it meant if Kath was having a bad day she could still talk to them.

“Kath’s confidence has grown and she will now go out with me to cafés, the hairdressers and has come to craft class we hold at Bluebird Care. Her mental health has improved and she is a happier person. It’s been a huge relief for her family and they’ve noticed a big difference too.”

Because of Mr Finch’s efforts Bluebird Care has awarded him a ‘digital champion’ for teaching some of the clients how to use technology. Last year, Mr Finch was also awarded a Bluebird Care finalist of the year.

Yvonne Oxendale, registered manager for Bluebird Care said: “I am massively proud of Dave, I’m proud of all my staff. They do an amazing job every day.

“Dave has a real ability to connect to people on every level. With Kath, it was a slow and steady. He gradually built a relationship and gained her trust over time. He would spend time with her and chat about anything and everything.”

Mr Finch would have his lunch with Kath and would spend time building her confidence. Eventually his hard work and patients paid off and her confidence enabled her to start going out with him to the hairdressers, shopping and eventually going to the Bluebird Care craft class.

Mr Finch said: “It was great to see her getting more confident and opening up to me, she hasn’t refused to let us in or talk to for ages. She has a down days, but she talks about them now and she talks to her family via Facebook, it’s great.

Asked about his job, Mr Finch added: "I don’t think you could get a more rewarding job. You know you’ve done something special for someone you’ve cared for, even if you don’t realise it yourself."

Ms Oxendale said: “This has built her confidence massively and she now comes to our monthly craft class. It is no exaggeration to say this has changed her life.

“We at Bluebird care are so proud of Dave who has literally turned Kath’s life around. He was a finalist at the Bluebird Care Awards last year and he is now our ‘digital champion’, teaching some of our other customers how to use technology. I wish we could clone him!”

Mr Finch said: “I’m very proud of what Kath has achieved and knowing that Kath is in a much better place, both in her well-being and in her mental health. I just love doing what I’m doing.”

Bluebird Care want to reassure everybody they are committed to supporting all through the coronavirus pandemic

Before joining the Bluebird Care team, Mr Finch had no experience of social care and has his mum to thank for his change in career.

He said: “My mum has worked in care for years, so I suppose I’m following in her footsteps. It was my mum who suggested I try being a care worker. I’ve always been able to chat with the older generation. I remember doing this as a child when I travelled on buses."

Before Mr Finch took on the role at Bluebird Care, he was a conductor on the buses and worked in hospitality. He has always enjoyed meeting people.

Ms Oxendale said: “He took to it like a duck to water. We knew Kath responded well to male staff as we’d observed this through the community mental health team.

“Dave became Kath’s main carer. It troubled him that Kath was shutting himself off from her friends and family and began to think of ways that she could communicate without speaking face to face or over the phone. It made caring for her very difficult at times, as she wouldn’t let us in.

“The best thing was she was able to reconnect with her family, and even if she didn’t want to talk to them she could message them on Facebook and check in to see what they had all been up to.”

Ms Oxendale also spoke about the current coronavirus pandemic: “We want to take this opportunity to reassure our customers and their friends and family that everyone at Bluebird Care remains completely committed to supporting each of you as best we can throughout these extraordinary times.”

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