After weeks or months of being off work due to coronavirus, spending more time with loved ones than you might ever have anticipated, going back to work is producing a strange mix of emotions for many people, not least those who have spent their time in lockdown caring for older or disabled loved ones.
Having such an unexpected amount of time together may well have led to new discoveries about each other, precious moments of shared time and enhanced bonds between loved ones. For many employees who are returning to work, they may well find themselves missing those experiences as they commute to their workplaces and spend long hours away from home again.
Keeping positive family connections when you return to work
Whilst none of us would wish to return to the height of the pandemic and all of the misery and pain it caused, keeping some of the more positive aspects of the time we’ve had at home with our loved ones may be very important to many people as they return to work. Many of us have thought a lot about what our new ‘normal’ might look like, and high on your list if you’re returning to work having been a family carer may be how to make the most of the time when you’re not working.
You may not wish to rush back to the shops if you’ve got used to online deliveries, and the cinema may be less appealing than planning a reminiscence movie afternoon with an older loved one whose big screen favourites from yesteryear may have become favourites of yours too during lockdown.
The question you may be asking yourself, however, is: How do I make the most of my time off with my loved one when I’m back at work?
Engaging a live-in carer to help you and your loved one
If your loved one needs care, support and/or companionship while you are at work, you may be considering live-in home care. At Unicare, we have a passion for ensuring the highest standards of personalised care and support, provided by care workers who are well-trained and fully vetted and with services that are registered with the Care Quality Commission.
Many people fear that engaging with care services will be intrusive and obstruct family time, but quite the opposite is true with Unicare live-in care worker. Our experienced care workers live-in your home and work with you to ensure that you have all of the quality time with your loved one that you both want.
Our live-in care workers are there to provide the care that your loved one needs alongside doing any cooking, cleaning or other support tasks that are required, freeing you up to spend precious time with your loved one.
In addition, our live-in care workers are experienced in supporting you to engage with your loved one. If you have been finding this difficult due to your loved one living with dementia or because their communication has been affected by a stroke, a Unicare live-in care worker can guide you and answer your questions.
Things you could enjoy with your loved one thanks to the help of a live-in care worker
All of this means you can look forward to your time off work and doing things with your loved one, supported by your live-in care worker. It may mean those movie afternoons, or you may want to try other things too, for example:
- Your live-in care worker could prepare a picnic for you to enjoy with your loved one.
- Your live-in care worker could help you to set up a hobby with your loved one, like painting, model making or other craft-type activities.
- Your live-in care worker could help to facilitate favourite games that you might want to play, perhaps keeping score.
Whatever you choose, you can relax and enjoy your time off with your loved one, knowing that the quality time you had together during the long lockdown days doesn’t have to be over now you are back at work.
If you are wondering about the level of care your loved one may need, complete our online Care Assessment Tool for a quick and convenient overview of the most appropriate Unicare service for you. Alternatively, please visit www.unicare-livein.co.uk get in touch with our team on 0208 239 6877 or email info@unicarerecruit.co.uk for further information.