a suitable job?

[mollykins]

this is an ad in the paper and was wondering if it would be suitable for a teenager?

47 yr old lady in ###### requires a female PA for personal care. Must enjoy a joke, have good standards of hygeine and be a non-smoker. 4hrs pw average.

???????????????

[ummmm]

Worth a try...

Personally I'd think not though. More on her side than yours.

[woofgang]

If she really wants personal care, as opposed to household and domestic, then that is a job that requires a level of training. Why don't you check out your local social service sif you are interested in doing that kind of work? Its very hard and unrewarding unless you have a real interest in caring for people.

[mollykins]

Shes 47 so probably not a little old decrepid lady - anyway they'd asked for a more professional person and for more hours if they needed proper care, rather than odd jobs around the house kind of work.

[redman41]

ummmm and woofgang are right molly, find a more suitable job for yourself for the summer holidays. Is there nothing seasonal you can get in your local village ?

[woofgang]

She is probably disabled and personal care means ummm personal care...not domestic stuff.

[mollykins]

nope, there's a themepark in the town thats about 3 or 4 miles away and lots of shops there but also more people going for the jobs and i dread to think what it would cost to get there and back.

[redcrx]

also, what if she needs someone during the week? you couldnt continue once at college.

I really dont think that a 16 year old student will be what she is looking for.

[mollykins]

That's what i worrying about and hoping it wasn't woof.

[woofgang]

Molly.....how can it not be??????? if you advertise for personal care, its not cos you want your shopping done For Funks Sake

[woofgang]

ha ha I put in F F S and the answerbank swearograph interpreted it

[mollykins]

s'pose.

[Mosaic]

The question I would ask is, given the numerous advice networks that are available to people needing this kind of help (we are assuming bathing and so forth?), why advertise in the local paper? You would surely run the risk of weirdos pestering you. Either the lady is a bit naive or there's something peculiar about this. One last thought Molly - it isn't beyond the realms of possibility that someone you are helping in this way could accuse you of inappropriate behaviour - what help or backup would you have?
It is a sad reflection on where we are as a society that what is in all likelihood an innocent request should provoke suspicion, but we don't want harm to come to our Mollykins.

[mollykins]

I havent bothered to reply.

[saxy_jag]

I have done similar work. Such ads are often placed by agencies on behalf of disabled clients, as such carers now have to be employed/paid directly by the client, who receives an allowance for doing so.

Personal care can include helping a person to bath, shower or use the toilet, helping with stuff like hair, makeup and beauty care, as well as, if they are very disabled, helping them to eat their meals.

You would need to show that you can do all this in a mature and discrete way. You would need to be able to cope calmly and efficiently with the results of 'accidents'. This would all be without supervision, relying on you to make what can sometimes be very important decisions off your own bat.

You also need to be aware that 'disabled' may also mean mentally disabled. They may be in their 40s or 50s or whatever, but with a mental age of perhaps 5 or 6. Sometimes they may still live with parents who, just like the parents of school pupils, can often be difficult and interfering, especially when the carer is as young as yourself.

I would suggest, Molly, that you give this one a miss. If you really want to work in this field, start of by doing a couple hours volunteering in a day centre or some such to see whether you like it.