Work experience at a care home?

You should not be washing, lifting or giving any personal care as you will not be insured to do so if you are not a 'member of staff'. Plus your also 16 and it's illegal for you to give personal care in a residential/nursing home setting under the age of 18. You should be doing things like talking, making tea and playing games with them. I'd give them a call and have a chat with the manager about it because you shouldn't be doing those things. Or, you could look for another placement. The thing to remember is, your going to be a helper, not a member of staff.....you will be able to secure a place helping out and learning from almost any residential/nursing home

I've managed to find myself work experience at a care home for every Saturday from 8am to 2pm. They said that it involves washing the elderly residents as one of the tasks. However, I doubt they have ever had volunteers before as it is a relatively small care home and would they really expect me to wash the elderly. I mean I'm somewhat okay with it and I can do it if I must, but I haven't heard anyone else having to do that... so is this what you guys experienced and should they expect me to do that? I mean I'm willing to do anything but giving nude elderly people baths is just a tad extreme don't you think.

sorry if this has already been mentioned-- but if you wash someone and hurts them acidentally you are liable- and so is not allowed as your not employed there- you MUST tell them this! I work at a hospice and im not even allowed to help them vut their food coz everyone so scared of suing these days! plus- i dont think you really WANT to be washing them --its better for both parties! x

Yes, i agree that 6 hours for work experience is a lot at your age, especially on a saturday....it would appear they are trying to take you for a mug. I wouldn't bother with them, if i were you. Look for another placement in a nursing setting, if you can, possibly one with EMI (elderly mentally ill) clients, also. If you can gain experience not only in an elderly residential setting, but a nursing and EMI facility, it would show you have a holistic vision of elderly health care

May i ask what it is you are getting the experience for, is it just high school work experience?

It's for medicine. I've currently managed to get a placement shadowing a GP and I've hopefully secured a placement at a hospital for next year. I just wanted to work in a care home or hospice to add to that. Do you think that's enough for Year 12? I'm planning to carry out my placement at a care home for 2 -3 months, once a week on Saturday for a few hours and I want to maximise my stay at the GP for as long as possible.

Like i said, try and get a place in a nursing home, not residential....and if you can, a nursing home with some EMI clients to add to your list of experience. I think mental health experience, along with normal elderly care would look brilliant on your application. Also, during medicine rounds in these nursing homes, i'm sure the RGN wouldn't mind you observing how medicine is given out and it would give you lots of opportunity to ask questions about specific medication and what it is used to treat (another thing that would look good on your application). Might i also suggest you do a bit of work with children...that way you have the full package and show you view health care as a whole, and not aimed at just one area It projects a holistic vision of health care

Yeah I was a volunteer at a residential care home as part of Duke of Edinburgh, and I was just talking to them, playing games etc, I was 16 like yourself so wasn't allowed to wash them or anything. Still valuable experience though.