Originally broadcast on: http://radiosoapbox.com Radio Soapbox
Women's Hour broadcasts live every Sunday at 7:00p.m. uk time.
A conversation with jo, followed by a chat with Tracy :)
Welcome to another episode of Women's Hour, streaming live on RadioSoapBox.com. In this episode, we dive into a variety of engaging topics with our regular guest, Joe, and later, Tracy Barnes. Shelley shares her relief at avoiding a dreaded camping trip by setting up a tent in the garden for the kids, sparking a humorous discussion about the trials and tribulations of camping and childhood memories. We also delve into the quirks of slippers and the challenges of finding the perfect pair.
In the second part of the episode, Tracy Barnes joins us to discuss the emotional and logistical challenges faced by the staff and residents of a care home that is set to close in six months. Tracy shares her insights on the importance of community, the impact of the closure on both staff and residents, and the critical role of carers in providing end-of-life care. This heartfelt conversation highlights the dedication and compassion of those working in the care industry and the profound effects of such closures on vulnerable populations.
Join us for an episode filled with laughter, heartfelt moments, and important discussions about community, care, and the little things that make life special.
[00:01:01]
Unknown:
Evening, ladies, and maybe some of the men out there as well. Welcome to women's hour streaming live on radiosoakbox.com. It's good to have your company. Today's date, Sunday 25th August 2024. And, wow, we are reaching into autumn. We are in the UK anyway. So did I say it's good to have your company? It's good to have your company. I've got Joe on again this evening. This is gonna be a regular thing, it looks like. And then for part 2, we've got Tracy Barnes who's been on a few times as well. So let's get on and let's have a little chat with Joe. Silence.
Bear with. Bear with. Right. With no further ado, let's get on with our weekly chat with Joe. This is becoming a, what's the word? A habit now, a habit that we like. It's nice to catch up and Joe has actually got the week off work. So we're not phoning her in the broom cupboard or in an illegal place, and she's not got to keep her ears open. Good evening, Jo. How are you?
[00:02:14] Unknown:
Hello. I'm good. I'm actually sat at home. It's been nice not to have to work on a lead up to a weekend or at the weekend. So, yeah, I'm good. How are you?
[00:02:28] Unknown:
Yeah. I'm not bad. I'm not bad. It's, been a funny few days, and it looks like I've managed to get out of the whole camping situation by bribing a nearly 11 year old and not having to sleep out in all weathers.
[00:02:44] Unknown:
Okay. Hang on. Hang on. Back up. Camping. Camping's like my worst fear. I mean, for the love of God, I just don't even know why anybody would entertain it. But how did you manage to bribe an 11 year old? Because, you know, they're tricky little things. What did you have that did you sell your soul?
[00:03:06] Unknown:
Well, I feel like I've come close to it. Well, I've sold Darren's soul because I've sold his new bit of garden off to Piran in the tent. Well, basically, we went away last year and and the year before, but he's got these memories of a local place and just them riding their bikes, you know, just in the field. And, they met with lots of kids and have games and stuff. So we haven't planned to go away this year. So we thought, right, we'll just have a couple of nights camping. So I haven't booked anywhere, thankfully. And, the build up, I was just dreading just 2 nights next week.
I'd have just been dreading it because I know that I will be there by myself for 1 night with 2 children, and that's for my grandson as well. Anyway, I've been caught kind of dropping hints all day and saying like, woah. You know? It's gonna be very dark by 20 to 9, and it's gonna be very cold.
[00:03:58] Unknown:
Frightening the poor children. Trying to. Trying to.
[00:04:02] Unknown:
And, I've just basically thought of it earlier, and I thought, right. Don't give up, Shelley. Don't give up. So I had words, and I said, I've got an idea. And he's like, what? I said, how about we set up our big tent in the garden? And he was like, oh, the big green one. I mean, bear in mind, this will take up my whole grass spot.
[00:04:23] Unknown:
Oh, no.
[00:04:24] Unknown:
And Darren has, like, seeded this grass. That that grass is a baby. No. But I'm sure we'd rather that, like, gets fixed, like, with the sun and rain in a week or so rather than endure 2 night and then me endure 2 nights camping. So I Yeah. I mean, that I kind of figure then you see that if that's up all week, the last week of the summer holidays, they can stay out there as many times as they like. They can take the Lego out there. They can come in whenever. They've got their second little den during the daytime. There is that. There is that. And I've said to take them out on the bikes. So
[00:05:04] Unknown:
Well, you know, you've gotta do what you've gotta do. But like I said, camping, I just I just don't get it. I mean, I suppose the good compromise for you guys is, you know, you've only gotta take whatever items out of your house to your back garden. You know? So you're, like, shortening the whole pain threshold. Whereas if you were going to a campsite, you have to load the car up. You have to drive there. You have to unload the car. You then have to, like, set the tent up. No. No. And I think I get that from going back to the good old 19 seventies.
I don't have a memory of camping in a tent per se, but, my parents used to be big into drag racing. And there used to be a place called Santopod. I think it's still going. And, you know, I'm talking age 5 and 6. So the journey from our house in London to Santopod would have felt like a long time. So, you know, that was all a bit arduous. But when we got there, you know, they they weren't wasting time setting up a tent for their 2 children. It's like, no, kids. You can sleep in the car. So we slept in the car. My mom slept passenger seat. My dad drivers.
I was on the back shelf of the back of the car, and my brother had, like, the the the whole of the back seat to himself. And I'm the pom sod that's, like, in the back window for all 19 seventies perverts to see. Yeah. So I think I probably scarred life over that. Yeah. Don't like it. Don't like it. I wouldn't mind if it was warmer,
[00:07:11] Unknown:
truth be told. And probably if we was further away, if we was gonna go a couple of hours away and we planned a few days and day trips and stuff. But because we decided we'd just keep it local for. I'm just being a good mum, but now I'm an even better mum because the tent's going in the garden for a week.
[00:07:29] Unknown:
And she's probably brides in with Lego and Yep. Soft and whatever else. You want. Absolutely. Wow. But then somebody that I work with, I think in the next couple of days, because, of course, it'd be September soon, won't it? And then it'd be Christmas. That's another conversation for another day. But, she's going to France, and she's going to stay on a campsite over there. And, of course, when she told me, I was like, camping. And she was like, no. No. They're really good. And she showed me some pictures. Yeah. I get it.
Lots of people do do that. And, you know,
[00:08:19] Unknown:
Yeah. I get it. Lots of people do do that. And, you know, we've got all the gear. All the gear, guys. We bought it All the gear and no idea. We've got the idea. I just get bored. I get so bored. So, like, you know, dark at happy state. What we gonna do? What we gonna do? You know? Well, that's it. What would you do? Well, you would go to bed early and then wake up early, wouldn't you? But I would end up drinking loads of wine and well Just to make it through. Just to make it through.
[00:08:48] Unknown:
Just to make it through. Just to make it through. Yeah. I it's it's not for me. It's not for me. Because, like, you know, I don't know about you. But right now, obviously, because I've had a week off work, I'm sat at home. I'm sat at home in my comfy dressing gown, and we've not even got round to talking slippers, but with miss slippers on, cup of tea. Now you could not do that if you were camping. Like you said, get stuck, didn't it? Up our state, quarter 9. And it's You can't really yeah. You can't really sit around in your dress and gown and slippers, can you, on a campsite?
[00:09:31] Unknown:
No. Well, even in the house, I've resorted to my slippers tonight as well. Flip flops. They've Have Yep.
[00:09:38] Unknown:
What? Hang on. Actual flip flops or are they like slipper flip flops? No. No. No. Because you can get, like, the fluffy bits, can't you, between your toes? No. No. They were my flip flops that I wear as slippers as well. And
[00:09:52] Unknown:
tonight, I've gone upstairs, and I've delved into the wardrobe and found a pair of furry slippers because my feet are cold.
[00:10:00] Unknown:
Wow. Now now here's the thing about slippers. Have you noticed well, you probably have and not really taken much notice because it's just one of those things. But when you buy slippers, they're not like size, you know, 3 or 4 or 5. They go size, let's say, 2 to 4 or slippers 5 to 6, and then it's, like, 7 to 8. And I'm like, well, once once and one time only, I made the mistake of going, I will buy for my correct size of foot, which is a 7. But, of course, a 7 to an 8 and and slippers always stretch. So size 7 of the foot actually stretch, but then I add additional room in them because they were an 8. And then I was coming down the stairs 1. So, of course, they're too big for me. So down I went with a Burton. So now I buy size 5 to 6, and I have to go through that pain threshold of stretching them out. Do you do that?
I mean, I've got you know, this is when this is when we need the phone in button because I'm sure there's listeners out there that go, do you know what? Yeah. I'm an in between size and I have to stretch them out, or I have to take my life in my own hands and get a pair that's too big for me.
[00:11:39] Unknown:
It will be a good call in. No. It's funny you say about half sizes actually because, you know, ages ago, I bought my lovely doctor Martin Mary Jane heels. Yeah. Yes. And I couldn't walk in them very well, and they're, like, great clod up in things. They really are. And I feel like I'm lifting my leg up to a walk. And I've only worn them about 5 or 6 times. And a couple of months ago, I thought, do you know what? I'm gonna sell them on Vinted. I paid stupid money for them on Klarna, of course, good old Klarna. And I just think they're not gonna get worn. And that's a nice lump of sum of money for parents' birthday party.
Oh. Oh. Yes. And loads of people have messaged me on Vinted, like, would you accept this? Blah blah. And I say, yes. Just let's have them gone, but they never make the payment. And somebody messaged me today, and she said, is it true that you've gotta go down a size with these shoes? And I said, yes. You have. I said, because I'm a 6, and these are a 5. Anyway, she messaged me right back, and she said, will you take offers? And I said, I'll take £85. That's as low as I'm going. She said, brilliant. Anyway, and she paid for it now and then. Oh, wow. So this half size thing has been a topic today. Yeah.
[00:12:50] Unknown:
Well well, there you go. There you go. So
[00:12:53] Unknown:
must typically I don't tend to wear a pair of slippers that you put your whole foot in. Mine are like half a slipper.
[00:13:00] Unknown:
You know what I mean? Do you? You see, I call those almost like a Bettelidge kind of slipper. You know? Like, they're like a mule, aren't they? Yes. They are. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I'm I'm I'm not those. I like a full booty, a full booty slipper.
[00:13:19] Unknown:
Well, I did have a nice pair of those. And at the old house, the dog was a puppy. Oh, running down that stairs. Well, I would be walking down the stairs. He'd be following me and chasing the bloody balls hanging off them. So I've just never gone back to them.
[00:13:33] Unknown:
No. No. But then, of course, you know, we then have to talk about the socks that you wear with the slippers. Because once your feet warm up and if you got the socks on, your feet start to sweat and then they cool down and that sweat is all cold and then your feet just go cold again in the slippers. So you really have to think about what you're actually putting on your feet sock wise before you put your slippers on.
[00:14:03] Unknown:
Do you have any of that? I haven't got any socks on, Jo, but my feet are really cold. Really cold. They're still cold. They're still cold. So I need socks as well or a fella slipper.
[00:14:15] Unknown:
Well, I'll let you into a little secret. I've got a hot water bottle right now. Lovely. Now I know it's not like freezing cold, but there's a real sort of chill in the air. You know? It's definitely a real Can I even say the word autumnal? I've never heard of the word so much in the last couple of weeks, but it is. Yes. But that seems to have come on, like, really quick, doesn't it? You know? Probably about 2 weeks ago, I noticed when I was driving home from work, sort of, you know, court pass between court pass and half past day, you know, you can see the light going. It's starting to get dark. And, you know, I've got out of the car, and I'm like, oh my god. That's a real drop in temperature.
So it seems to have just, like, you know, the drop of a hat come really quickly. So, yeah, I'm I'm having a lovely time, sat at home in my slippers, my dressing gown, hot water bottle, and a cup of tea. I'm living the dream. Living the dream.
[00:15:21] Unknown:
You sound like it. Well, I will be now anyway because I haven't gotta go camping. What a relief. What a relief indeed. So I I heard you mention earlier. You mentioned it in passing. Just couldn't get onto this because funny incident again. You said you've been to a dentist this week. I have. You've got a dentist. You are lucky.
[00:15:43] Unknown:
Well, I am lucky because it's not an NHS dentist.
[00:15:48] Unknown:
Oh, you're not in a scheme, are you?
[00:15:51] Unknown:
I am. But, again, that that stems from my mother and not so much oh, I can tell you so many things about 19 seventies. That stems from my mother's madness of she had a really bad experience as a child with the school dentist. And, you know, I've heard the horror stories. So she's always been really wary of dentists, and she's always been very wary of what you brush your teeth with. So my brother and I
[00:16:37] Unknown:
had
[00:16:39] Unknown:
I don't really know what to say about it. Had the misfortune or maybe the fortune because, touch wood, we've never had any problems with our teeth. My mom was very mindful about what we were brushing our teeth with, and she said she did some research. But let's bear in mind, there was no computers or Internet back in the day. So where she got her research from, I have no idea. We used to brush our teeth with salt.
[00:17:11] Unknown:
Oh, nice.
[00:17:13] Unknown:
No, Shelley. As a child, it was not nice. A mouthful of salt, salt on your toothbrush, brushing your teeth. No. No. Thank you. So, yeah, my mum my mum, she she has a thing about dentists. So when there was the opportunity to go private as a dentist, that's it. The whole family went private.
[00:17:40] Unknown:
And they told her not to give you salt as
[00:17:45] Unknown:
toothpaste. I I I actually remember being told by my mom, don't tell the dentist that you've ever brushed your teeth with salt.
[00:17:54] Unknown:
But they were they in good condition? Had it worked?
[00:17:57] Unknown:
Yes. Yes. Yes. Absolutely.
[00:18:00] Unknown:
So probably an old wives' tale, an old medical medicine story, and it's,
[00:18:05] Unknown:
it's worked. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I had to have, you know, so many things went through my head when the dentist said the word x rays to me, you know, because I'm like, oh my god. Here we go. You know, that's all, sort of not a conspiracy, but we know they're not the best thing. So, anyway, I'm just like, just do it now because, you know, I'll be honest with you. I'm not gonna be skipping or running back to this place. I avoid you like the plague. Took the X rays, and she did a comparison between the last slot I had, which apparently was 10 years ago. She said nothing's changed.
Your bone density in your teeth is the same. Your apparently, now they measure your gum. They can measure your gums. At what? She said, I'm really surprised, pleasantly surprised that the state of your teeth and gums have not changed in 10 years. And I did actually think to myself, don't say it, Joe. Don't say. That's because I'm a child of the seventies, and I had to brush my teeth with soap. I didn't. But yeah. Oh. How how'd you find dentists?
[00:19:22] Unknown:
I absolutely hate hate them. When I had a tooth out about 8 years ago, I had to pump myself full of Diazepan. I was crying in the waiting room because my face was the size of the golf ball. I see. No. It was horrendous, and it was the pain. I tell you what, I'd rather give birth than have toothache. Really? Yes. Yeah. Absolutely. Touch wood, I haven't had any niggles since then, but I don't have a dentist as such. I would just put it on a credit card and go private if I had any problems because I would like I say, anything but dental pain. I did go about 18 months ago, and I prayed privately be prayed. I paid privately because everybody was posting things like I need a dentist, I've got really bad toothache, and it made me feel sick. So I was like I need to go and just check everything's alright. So I think I paid about £100 and they gave me the once over, everything's fine, blah, blah, blah, blah.
And that was that. But if I wanted to stay on their list, I had to go again and pay another stupid amount of money, and I was like, I'll chance it. But Yeah. I've been to a dentist this morning to make an appointment for a resident at work. So after booking him in and everything like that, I says to the woman, can I please put my name on the list for the NHS waiting list? She said you can, but I'm afraid it's a 20 year wait. What? I don't and we both just laughed. Laughed. I can't believe it. No. That's outrageous. Yeah. She said it's a I said, oh, I won't bother then.
[00:20:54] Unknown:
That's outrageous. No. No. No. No. Like, I'm sure it's changed. But when we joined, they assess your mouth and they grade it according to how good or bad it may be, and you pay a price within that grade. So providing your mouth is in good health and and whatever, you only end up paying something. Like, I think I pay maybe 10, £11
[00:21:26] Unknown:
something per month. I think I will look into it. I don't think they work out too bad, actually. They don't. And I tell you what. Once and everything for free, don't we, on the NHS? Yeah. I would rather
[00:21:38] Unknown:
I would rather do that than pay a lump
[00:21:42] Unknown:
sum, you know? Can you Klarna it?
[00:21:45] Unknown:
Well You probably can. I'd I yeah. I I think, you know, Klarna, Clearpay, and there's another one as well. I can't remember what it's called, but, I think they're just weaseling their way into everyday life, and I say bring it on.
[00:22:02] Unknown:
Yeah. Definitely. Definitely.
[00:22:04] Unknown:
Bring it on. In actual fact, what did I buy the other day? Eyebrow dye.
[00:22:11] Unknown:
That's what I bought. Oh, I want you to do my eyebrows.
[00:22:15] Unknown:
Oh, god. Here we go. Here we go. So right. Now you're gonna put the fear of god into me about your eyebrows. I'm gonna have it just out of here. I can just keep them off and draw them back on, can't I? I think you really look like Pet Lynch with your slippers and your eyebrows.
[00:22:33] Unknown:
Okay. Alright. Maybe not. It's just those bloody white ones that keep coming up. Yeah. Yeah. If I didn't paint those on in the morning, I well, cover up the white hairs. It's just like I've I'm a fake, Jo. I'm a fake. The blonde hair Right. The the colored in eyebrows. I'm a fake and a photo. Listen.
[00:22:56] Unknown:
When we get to our age, women have to start getting artistic with paint. They really do. You know? But the thing is with those white ones, and I've made the mistake more times than I care to remember, you pluck the white one out, but you don't realize the actual root because it's gray. It's almost, like, embedded even deeper, hasn't it? So you pluck it out and it leaves like a bloody great big hole. Like, you've taken you haven't, but it's like you've taken several hairs around that one eyebrow out as well. And I was like, add a gold sort of a gold patch. That would be nice, wouldn't it? A bold patch in my eyebrows.
And I've quite often thought to myself, well, maybe I'll just get, like, a razor blade to, like, just do that line through it. You know, like, you see the kids. Yeah. Just try and disguise the bold. Stay young. Stay young. Yeah. Yeah. But no. But it it is a pain. It is a pain. One time. One time, I left the eyebrow dye on for too long. Oh my god. What did you do? I won't do it to you. I promise I won't do that to you. Yeah. I oh, I can't even I can't even tell you what I look like. And then I put it on Facebook, like, oh my god. Somebody help me. And then a mutual friend of ours said, oh, have you got any nail polish remover? And I'm like, yeah. She said use that.
Well, I did, but I was like, I, like, I didn't, but I was rubbing so hard. It was like I had wire wool and nail polish remover. So I got rid of the darkness, but I've replaced it with red because I'd rubbed myself red raw. Oh my god. See, this is why I'm good at everything because I've made so many mistakes on myself before.
[00:25:04] Unknown:
You've gotta try, though, haven't you? I'm gonna cancel my eyelash appointment for next week. You know how much I love my eyelashes. Oh, yeah. I can't justify it, Jo. When I get a day off, do I really wanna drive there? You know? So I'm just gonna invest in some cheapy ones and practice putting them on. But I think I've said to you before, when I did that, I was stood at a pub with Darren, and he said, Shelley, you've got an eyelash on your cheek. And, I mean, the whole strip of them was on my cheek. I was so embarrassed. Quickly pulled the other one off. Yeah. So Well, you can get, like,
[00:25:38] Unknown:
magnetic ones now, can't you? No. Put, like, glue
[00:25:42] Unknown:
on the ones. Magnetic ones. Okay. They were not. They were. They were. I've tried it, but I feel more confident now in, like, doing things with my hair and stuff. I'll just watch if you've gotta keep persevering, aren't you? I think my problem is I tried it once. It doesn't work, so I give up. That's just here I am.
[00:26:01] Unknown:
Yes. Yeah. Yeah. I must admit. It is and it's difficult when you're sort of holding a hairdryer or a styling tong, you know, because well, I mean, it's not a natural position to be sat there with your arms stuck up in the air doing something. You know? So myself so many times. Yeah. Oh, that's not good. Not good. But No. No. Hey, hon.
[00:26:26] Unknown:
Right. Well, Jo, do you know what? We've more or less come to the end.
[00:26:30] Unknown:
Have we? We have. We have. Well, that's that's good timing because my hot water bottle is not so hot. So I'd go top it up. Well, I use woman. And now I love it. I like a wheat bag.
[00:26:42] Unknown:
And, you know, it's just like it's like my teddy bear. But I keep running downstairs every, like, hour and, like, topping it up another minute. And then Darren will do it for me just before I go to bed. It's just Bless him. Oh, I know. It's my Well, you can get those ones that smell of lavender as well. They don't last very long. I think I think you burn the smell out of them. Oh, nice. Because I like the black hot because they recommend 3 minutes. I'm like, that's not gonna give me enough heat. I need it for 5 minutes. Nothing, is it? No. The warmer, the better. And I'd rather have it too hot so you leave it out and then keep putting it back behind you when the temperature's right rather than having to keep heat it up.
Anyway, some boring information for you. Right, my lovely. Well, I'm gonna let you, well, not get back to work, get back to your hot water bottle, and you'll relax in. And thank you for the chat as always. And,
[00:27:32] Unknown:
that's okay. I'll catch up you with another day. Take care, my lovely. Speak soon. Bye.
[00:27:39] Unknown:
Bye. Wrong music. I do apologize if you can hear my dog whining in the background. The kids are out in the garden. Darren is not here. So I'm gonna play a quick song and go and give the dog a chew. We'll try and shut him in another ring, and then we'll get Tracy Barnes on to have a chat. So here we go. Have a little listen of this one. If it's gonna play. People have the power. I do like this song. Yes. Right. I'm gonna sort my dog out.
[00:28:26] Unknown:
I was dreaming in my dream and well of an aspect bright and fair. And my sleeping, it was broken. But my dream, it lingered near in the farm of shining valleys with a pure hair, rare fight. And my senses unduly Believe it. If to hear. And the armies ceased advancing because the people had their ear, and the shepherds and the soldiers, well, they laid off beneath the
[00:33:05] Unknown:
I want to join a choir and sing that song. I love that song. Yes. People do have the power, and we must continue to use our voices. Anyway, we are live on Rumble, streaming live on Rumble. If anybody wanted to leave a comment or join in the conversation, just look at my name, Shelley Tasker. Right. Part 2. Here we are. We are going to have a good old chat with, Tracy. Bear with me one second. Oh, it was there. Right. Tracy, let's get you on the line. Had Tracy on a few times before about the care home situation, the COVID jabs, and times in lockdown.
Hello. Good evening, missus Barnes. How are you doing? I'm alright. You alright? I'm alright. Thank you. Right. So, my lovely, always lots to talk about. Should we delve in about what's happening with our work situation?
[00:34:03] Unknown:
Yeah.
[00:34:04] Unknown:
Do you wanna start?
[00:34:09] Unknown:
I think everyone's still processing it, to be honest. Yes. Yes. Well, I don't know. There's a lot a lot of anger.
[00:34:17] Unknown:
We better tell the audience a minute what's going on quickly. Basically, where myself and Tracy work, it has been agreed to close the care home down in 6 months' time. And that's it, basically. But it sounds simple, but there's a lot of heartache. Well, not from just residents and residents' families and staff. It's all, like Tracy said, it's still quite raw, and we're still trying to process it.
[00:34:44] Unknown:
So I think I think a lot of it is, obviously, things have happened in the build up to this, and there was a lot of questions going around over certain things happening. So people have been moved around. People have left and gone into other areas, which was a little bit odd. And I think that got everybody talking. And I think I'm just a lot I think a lot of my anger is more at I think we were sort of maybe looked at a little bit as if we were a bit stupid and couldn't put 22 together.
[00:35:23] Unknown:
Definitely.
[00:35:24] Unknown:
And, you know, even when we were asking questions, we were kind of brushed off, and nothing was really resolved or said. And then suddenly, it was like, no. We're having a meeting. Boom. This is what's happening. When it's things that we've all been asking for sort of weeks weeks. Yes. Really. And it just it just felt a little bit like, a slap in the face, really.
[00:35:49] Unknown:
Yeah. Because, like you say, this has been up in the air for a few weeks, and, you know, the morale is low when you've got people looking at jobs when they're at work. All just saying, what can I do next? Where can I go? And, I mean, it's not ultimately about us. I mean, obviously, our lives are important, but it's the dear residents that we look after, isn't it?
[00:36:11] Unknown:
Yeah. And I think that's that's what's upsetting people. That's what's upset me a lot is, yes, it's awful. We're all you know, we all need to look for new jobs. But, you know, I think what we need to remember is right at the heart of all of this, these people are losing their home. Yeah. And for a lot of them, it's somewhere that they've come to know, they understand their you know, they've got their own routines in place. They feel safe. They feel comfortable.
[00:36:44] Unknown:
Yeah. They know the staff.
[00:36:47] Unknown:
I've seen time and time again just from previous experience and I I've worked in care for a long time now. And you do see sort of over the years, you see patterns with things. And and, unfortunately, as horrible as it sounds, it it's really traumatic for these people to be moved.
[00:37:06] Unknown:
Yeah. I don't doubt it. I mean, just seeing, like, a couple of the residents moved down to the downstairs of the building Yeah. They've struck And a
[00:37:14] Unknown:
a lot of people and a you know, who were moved, and they have trauma in in this. Because it it, you know, it for us, it's just, oh, you know, you're just going to somewhere different, but it it that's not how it is for these guys. And, unfortunately, you do see times where, you know, it it does sort of signal the end for some people. They they will not survive a move. They just won't. And I think that's that's really upsetting because, you know, we know that. And you you look around and you sort of you you know, you find yourself looking at people going, yeah. I don't think, you know, you're not. You're you won't.
[00:37:57] Unknown:
Yeah. I know what you're saying because, I mean, although, like, lots of our patients have got dementia and stuff, and they might not know your names, but they recognize you, don't they?
[00:38:05] Unknown:
Yeah. And they recognize their environment. They might not necessarily, be, acclimatized to sort of time, person, or or place as such, but they'll recognize, like, their bedroom door. They'll recognize their numb a number. They'll recognize that, you know, they have to walk down this way and go back and turn left or turn right. You know? So it's it it is it's one of those situations where it it's just it's just horrible for everybody. It's just awful. It's awful.
[00:38:38] Unknown:
It is. And
[00:38:40] Unknown:
I think what made me cross as well is from, from my sort of position point of view within work, you kind of feel a sense of duty. And I I do have a duty of care to the staff Yeah. And to those that I lead when I'm on shift. And and seeing them upset and not being able to reassure them or answer their questions because I I don't know. You know? I don't know what's gonna happen to everybody. I don't know where everyone's gonna get jobs. I don't know how everyone's gonna gonna be at the end of all of this. And it it, you know, it makes it really difficult. It makes it really hard because, you know, we work with these people as a team.
And, I mean, you you know yourself. You see them more than you see your family somewhere. Yes. They become your family. Yeah. And it and it is like that. And I know some people laugh and scoff at it, don't they, when you say, oh, no. You know, we're at work. You know, we're a family. I work family. But it is really like that.
[00:39:47] Unknown:
Yeah. I agree. And it's it it's been hard because, like, the last 6 months, we've had a change, haven't we, where we've had a big team of an Indian community that have come in to help. And it takes a long time to build friendships, doesn't it? Especially, people of different origins and stuff like that. There is that slight, language barrier. And, I mean, now I feel that all of these guys, I can have a conversation.
[00:40:09] Unknown:
I know more about them, but it but it took a long time. Yeah. And like you said, I mean, when it when it all first sort of came about, there was, like, that big culture shift and change and, you know, learning to, you know, realize that sometimes whereas we're we're very much brought up, aren't we, as a society? Please, thank yous, this, you know, your p's and your q's and everything else. When somebody comes across as rude, that might actually not be what they're being. This is it's just how they interact and how they're you know? So it and I think, you know, overcoming that was a bit difficult at first and, you know, getting to sort of gel the team together. But I think right at the point where we have got a good team there Oh, we've got a very good team. Everybody Yeah. You know, and everybody's working really well together.
And then suddenly, you've got, like, well, actually, sorry.
[00:41:04] Unknown:
Yeah. And for lots of these people, they've got the fear now of well, their visa runs at the end of November, doesn't it? So I mean Yeah. Although we're some sponsorships
[00:41:14] Unknown:
and things which
[00:41:16] Unknown:
Although we're, like, obviously, just as much as priority, but we've got till the end of March, these guys, they need their sponsorship sorted before the end of November, and that's only 3 months. It must be quite frightening when they've got children that are, like, now in school here and stuff like that. And I didn't realize the other day, like, all the stories that go behind it. You know, we were talking about the things that, you know, these poor guys have had to go through just to just to get here. And then when they got here, I think the the company that they were with
[00:41:51] Unknown:
just treated them appallingly. Absolutely. It it was it was awful. They were hitting traffic, weren't they, really? Yeah. And it was awful what these guys went through. And and I just you know? And I, you know, I I don't for a minute. I'm not gonna stand there, and I'm not gonna sit there. And I did say this when I spoke to everybody. Alright. We got everybody in in the the lounge, and I sort of said to everybody, you know, this is the time when we need to be supporting each other. We are, as a team, we're the only ones who know what each other's going through with this, and we just need to make sure we're there for each other. But I'm not gonna sit here and say I know what you're going through because I don't.
No. You know, I've never had that fear of, oh my god. If I don't have a job, I'm gonna get sent away to another country. Sure. Sure. When it's But I've tried but I've left to try to to better myself Yeah. Than my family and what have you, and, you know, we've not got that fear. Yes. We've got the fear of, you know, if I'm not earning, how do I pay my mortgage? How do I feed my family? How do I pay my bills? How do I pay my rent? Things like that. But, you know, that doesn't compare to, right, we're shipping you out now. Yeah. Yeah. You know? And I think, yes, there's not you know, there shouldn't be a priority thing where, well, you know, this this group of people get priority over this group of people for jobs and things like that. But I and I don't think that's how it will be done.
But I do think there needs to be a little bit of understanding that, actually, we've got until November to help these people
[00:43:27] Unknown:
Yeah. Which isn't long.
[00:43:29] Unknown:
And that you know, they and they do, in that sense, they probably do take priority in that side of it.
[00:43:36] Unknown:
Yeah. I agree. I agree.
[00:43:39] Unknown:
You know? And I know that's probably not gonna be a popular opinion. No. But it is time wise. We've got more time than them. Yeah. Exactly. And, you know, have I been looking at other other possibilities? Yes. Because I think, you know, we'll all be silly if we aren't looking on Indeed or whatever, total jobs or whatever the other one is. But I'm not I'm not recklessly just applying for anything and everything. You know? I've got you know, we've got the time to you know, they have said that they will try and accommodate people where they can Yes. And and, you know, try and help them where they can within the company, which is great.
But, you know, I did make a point of saying that as, you know, for me personally, and I'm you know, this may be the same for some of my other seniors, I've worked really hard to get the qualifications I've got Absolutely. And to get to the position I'm in, and I'm not willing to step back in my career and step and step backwards. Do you know what I mean? I'm I'm not willing to do that. So it will be you know, I'm sort of waiting to see what is available, but I'm not holding my breath that it will be anything that I will be able to take.
[00:44:58] Unknown:
No. I totally understand that as well. I am I'm gonna hold out, I think. And there there are options, but, like, you know, you like, you know, it takes a lot of qualifications to be a supervisor and stuff. And I've seen you doing all your studying, coming in on your days off and stuff like that. It's it's a hell of a lot of work
[00:45:15] Unknown:
to manage a team and residents.
[00:45:18] Unknown:
It is. And I think, do you know, I've got my, you know, my level 4 now, in leadership and what have you. I've got my qualification for, venipuncture, which is blood taking, so I can do all of that. Clinical observations, I can do. So, you know, I do a lot more than what your average senior would do. Yeah. So we're sort of more on the level of a nursing associate, but not quite.
[00:45:49] Unknown:
Yeah. Yeah. Whatever you say. You know? So it it's
[00:45:54] Unknown:
I know some people say, well, you know, if you're desperate for a job, you'll take whatever. And if it got to that point, yes, of course, I would because I need to pay, like, pay pay my bills and feed my family. But I won't willingly take a step backwards in my career. Do you know what I mean? And, you know, there is things out there. I mean, you look on these sites, and there are countless care jobs out there all over all the time. There's always care jobs, but it's not the same. No. It's not. When you've when you've built up that that community, when you've built up that family, when you've built up that environment within that home, it hurts when it something like this happens. You do feel like something's been ripped away a little bit.
[00:46:41] Unknown:
Yeah. It was a strange thing because, like I say, like, a couple of weeks leading up to this meeting, we were all kind of looking and we all had our feelings and suspicions of what was gonna happen. And I even though we knew it was coming, I didn't expect to feel so kicked in the teeth. And I'm a crier, Tracy, and I know you are as well. And when we were in that meeting, I was, like, crying, and I was like, stop. Stop, Shelley. Stop. Because it didn't make a lot of people
[00:47:07] Unknown:
you said that. I mean, I had a I had a cry, as you know, but I think a lot of my thing is I I cry when I'm angry. Yeah. I do as well. But just
[00:47:17] Unknown:
seeing all those people there, all the staff, you know, come together, cleaners that have been there for 13 years and stuff. And,
[00:47:23] Unknown:
you know, my heart what what got me was there was people that have just started Yeah. Yeah. That took jobs with us rather than elsewhere. And I just think, oh, you know, my god. You know, these poor people, they're gonna have to start again. And it it you know, it's hard enough now trying to get a job to then get one and then know that, actually, in 6 months' time sorry. And and that's 6 months is a generous thing. Do you know what I mean? If if things can progress quicker, they will. It's not as simple, quite as simple as what was said in the meeting.
I know it was a case of, you know, we'll reassess and rehome. Things don't work that easily.
[00:48:04] Unknown:
No.
[00:48:06] Unknown:
There are not that there aren't there are not enough beds in Cornwall.
[00:48:10] Unknown:
And this is the worry, isn't it, where most of our residents are gonna go? One of the residents' mothers came in the other day and no. Daughter. And she said, oh, we're from so and so and so and so. She said, I hope she's not gonna be put as far as, like, St. Austell. And I thought, my god. If you get somewhere like St. Austell, you're actually gonna be very lucky.
[00:48:28] Unknown:
Yeah. I mean fear of you know. I asked. I asked. You know, I mean, you know, I was asking the questions at the meeting, and I asked, you know, will we be sending people out of county? Because, you know, that is just another kick Yeah. To everybody. And we were told categorically no. But my point and, obviously, my other senior's point was, but if there's no beds, what are our options? Yeah. You know? Because that that's the only other option we're gonna have. And, you know, it's been on the news, recently, this care home in Truro, which closed the the nursing home, and they've still got 5 or 6 residents there that they can't rehome.
[00:49:10] Unknown:
Yeah. It's not easy.
[00:49:11] Unknown:
You know? It's not nursing beds are literally a diamond. You know? You you cannot get enough of them in court. You you just can't find them. And they're just shutting nursing homes. Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom. And we're crying out for nursing beds, and I just it just makes me you know, we don't look after our elderly. We don't. Not properly. No. We don't. They've put it into the system, haven't they, all their years? These people have worked hard all their lives. Some of them, majority of them, because of the sort of era and whatever they were brought up in, were brought up on the, you know, you work. You work for what you have. You work for your family, and you work hard.
And, you know, they've done that all their lives, and we struggle, I think, as a country to look after them. No. I think you're absolutely right. And it it's it's really sad, and it, you know, it really does sadden me. And, you know, there's things at the minute going on about, you know, will they be getting their winter, Fuel the night. Yeah. And things. You know? And I remember a story someone told me of somebody they know, and this this lovely lady, bless her. I mean, she's not with us anymore, but she, had a bus pass. And because she couldn't afford to heat her house, she would literally wrap up in her warmest clothes, get on a bus, and she would just stay on the bus all day.
Oh, it's awful. It's awful. You know? And I just think and this is this is how we're looking after these people. And this is this is how we're treating these people. And it is awful. It's awful.
[00:50:51] Unknown:
Yeah. And I don't see it getting much better under the government that we're in because he was one last year that said, you know, we won't be getting rid of this. And woah and behold, he's elected, and it's one of the first things he's done. Scrapped the allowance the allowance. It it it yeah. It it's just it's a sad state of affairs, you know, and I just we need to be looking after these people.
[00:51:12] Unknown:
You know, they've done like you said, they've done their dues. Now it's our turn to look after them, and I just you know and and people a lot of people, when you say to them, even now, there's such this thing around sort of care workers and stuff, and someone finds out you're a carer, and immediately, their thoughts are, oh, you wipe bums and do cups of tea. Yeah. Only that. You know? And they think that's all we do, and it it's quite insulting because we do a lot more a lot more than that. I don't think carers are appreciated or paid enough for what they do.
[00:51:48] Unknown:
No. They're not. Definitely. And that side of it, you see, I mean, I've done care work for years years. And Yeah. You know, if I have to go back to that side of it, I will, like you, I will do anything to, like, provide for my family. But I don't want to go back to that stage of it because I'm not just it's, and the thing is I wanted to spend more time with people and Yeah. Do a little bit more. And you can't do that when you've, you know, you're just doing the the care side of it. Yeah. Of course, you can chat to them and everything like that. But I wanted to do, you know, a little bit more engaging stuff. But, people do, oh, yeah. You're just a carer. They haven't got a clue. I mean, you know, my job's the activities coordinator.
I'm the one that sorts out bloody dentists for people and things. It's not my job, but we all do it there. I mean,
[00:52:36] Unknown:
the activity side of it, again, people don't realize how important that is. I mean, they if we didn't have somebody like you there, these people would just stare at walls all day. Yeah. Do do you know what I mean? Oh, yes. Yeah. It's it's a you know, we've got to help you know, mental well-being is as important, if not more so than everything else. Yeah. Still You know? Yeah. And I truly believe that. And I just you know, I do get caught when people say, oh, you're just a carer or oh, you just, you know, you just do cups of tea and sit there all day. I wish I wish that's all we had to do, but it's not. Do you know what I mean? We deal with death regularly.
Mhmm. Sometimes we're the last people that these guys will see before they pass away. You know? And we have to deal with that on a regular basis. And it it does take its toll on people and it does I always, you know, I've always said, because I always I do you know, I might look when we've had someone pass away. I'm quite clinical about it Mhmm. At the time. Obviously, I'm not when I'm in with the individual. I'm you know, that's completely different. But when it comes to actually, you know, assisting the nurse to verify and all that sort of thing, you've got to be quite clinical with it all and and structured and and to the point and what's happening.
But I'll sort of, you know, I'll come home and I'll have a cry in the shower or I'll shut myself in the office for 20 minutes and get it all out of my system. But it does stay with you, and I think the day that things like that don't affect you, that's the day you need to get out of the job.
[00:54:18] Unknown:
Yeah. Yeah. You know? I I you know? I've been to a lot of funerals this year, and I just feel that I have to do my part. You know? I think the last time I had a week off annual leave, I went to 2 funerals. But then these people, they become part of my life. And,
[00:54:32] Unknown:
they do. And, again, we see these people more probably more than some of their families do. Yeah. And, you know, I know that in within care, there's this whole thing where, you know, we're professional. We don't get too close. We don't it things like that, I just think you can't help it. You'd be human, would you? No. And you do become close with with these people, and you do get your little favorites, and you do get the ones that, you know, mean a lot. Yeah. I mean, we had a lady a while back. You'll know who I'm talking about. Bless her little heart. And, I had a phone call to tell me that she'd passed because, you know, everyone knew how close I was to her. And it you know, she affected me really badly, actually. It was her she's one that will stay with me.
And you you do get attached to these people. And, you know, I think people forget that, you know, we give up our Christmases with our families to look after your family.
[00:55:35] Unknown:
Yeah. Yeah. And we do that. You know, you organized an amazing event last weekend. Just the listeners know we like to do, like, you know, I do the activities, but Tracy and all, they like their festivals and things. And last Saturday, we had a festival for the residents, and it was amazing. It was so amazing. We had all the residents out in the garden. We'd hired 2 musician 2 music acts. We had mocktails and sweets and ice lollies. And, yeah, it's just
[00:56:07] Unknown:
amazing. Oh, yeah. Proper little proper bracelets for our entry. It was it was really good. It was really good fun, but it's little things. And, you know, music music is one of those things that I think is such a good tool Definitely. For people, especially sort of, you know, people with dementia and Alzheimer's and things like that. Music can get to people like nothing else can.
[00:56:31] Unknown:
I noticed that on a Friday night and, Friday night, Friday afternoon. That's gotta be the highlight of the week when I sing because some of them that can't you know, you see them singing along to the old songs and stuff, and it and it's lovely. Yeah. And you get and you get people who don't verbalize No. No. At all. Any other time.
[00:56:50] Unknown:
Yet you sing a song that pings a memory for them, and you will see them singing. Yeah. Yeah. You know? And it's amazing, and it it it just it makes the job worthwhile.
[00:57:02] Unknown:
Definitely. When I was singing a a bit of Heidi Heidi Hi and I held up with 2 particular resident, and she was her only only host. It was amazing. Yeah. Yeah. And I always worry that this lady, judges me each week because she used to be a very good singer in her
[00:57:18] Unknown:
time. Oh, but But it's things like that, you know, and it's you know, I get you mean, you know me. I get quite emotional. Like, when we had the gospel choir Oh, yeah. Who were amazing. I mean, they were absolutely amazing, and we will have to have them back again before everything shuts. But, you know, everyone was getting emotional and tearing up with that. And it you know, seeing how it affected some of the guys and and, you know, it was just lovely.
[00:57:47] Unknown:
Yeah. It is awful, innit? Because you see a few tears, but, you know, it stirred a bit of emotion. Yeah. And they're not necessarily bad emotions, you know, memories, happiness.
[00:57:56] Unknown:
Yeah. And it but it's things like that that you kind of I'll go home of an evening, and I'll think, do you know what? It was worth it. Yeah. That was a highlight of my day. Yeah. You have this mind fixed, don't you? It was worth that 12 hour shift. It was worth that happening. It was worth that. You you know? And it's just it's like with with end of life and stuff, and then we'll probably end up having to do another one on end of life and stuff. We gotta talk about that. For me and I don't know how to I can't think of of a better word to say it, but end of life care for me is my preferred part of of the care industry. That's the area that I enjoy the most is end of life care. And I think for me, it's I feel it's a privilege and an honor to be with these people at the end. And the fact that, you know, their families allow us to be there with them at the end is really special.
Oh, it is. It's almost as important as the birth. It's just the other side, isn't it? Yeah. And, you know, my biggest thing is at the end of life, I think it, you know, all we want for these guys is for it to be a dignified and good death. Yeah. And, you know, we strive to achieve that as much as we possibly can.
[00:59:17] Unknown:
And you do an amazing job. And I've gotta stop you there, Tracy, because we've got literally 30 seconds until we finish. We could talk for hours. I know. I know. But you this is your 3rd time. You come back again in a couple of weeks. We're always gonna have good conversations like we do at work. Well, thank you for joining me, my lovely. And yeah. No. Thank you. And, you know, like I said, it's 6 months, but it's 6 months that we can you know, these these last 6 months, we're gonna make them the best. Definitely. Definitely. I love your attitude. Alright, my darling. Well, you take care, and I'll see you this week. See you later, my lovely. Take care, sweetie. Bye. Bye. Bye bye. And I'll see you next week, guys.
Evening, ladies, and maybe some of the men out there as well. Welcome to women's hour streaming live on radiosoakbox.com. It's good to have your company. Today's date, Sunday 25th August 2024. And, wow, we are reaching into autumn. We are in the UK anyway. So did I say it's good to have your company? It's good to have your company. I've got Joe on again this evening. This is gonna be a regular thing, it looks like. And then for part 2, we've got Tracy Barnes who's been on a few times as well. So let's get on and let's have a little chat with Joe. Silence.
Bear with. Bear with. Right. With no further ado, let's get on with our weekly chat with Joe. This is becoming a, what's the word? A habit now, a habit that we like. It's nice to catch up and Joe has actually got the week off work. So we're not phoning her in the broom cupboard or in an illegal place, and she's not got to keep her ears open. Good evening, Jo. How are you?
[00:02:14] Unknown:
Hello. I'm good. I'm actually sat at home. It's been nice not to have to work on a lead up to a weekend or at the weekend. So, yeah, I'm good. How are you?
[00:02:28] Unknown:
Yeah. I'm not bad. I'm not bad. It's, been a funny few days, and it looks like I've managed to get out of the whole camping situation by bribing a nearly 11 year old and not having to sleep out in all weathers.
[00:02:44] Unknown:
Okay. Hang on. Hang on. Back up. Camping. Camping's like my worst fear. I mean, for the love of God, I just don't even know why anybody would entertain it. But how did you manage to bribe an 11 year old? Because, you know, they're tricky little things. What did you have that did you sell your soul?
[00:03:06] Unknown:
Well, I feel like I've come close to it. Well, I've sold Darren's soul because I've sold his new bit of garden off to Piran in the tent. Well, basically, we went away last year and and the year before, but he's got these memories of a local place and just them riding their bikes, you know, just in the field. And, they met with lots of kids and have games and stuff. So we haven't planned to go away this year. So we thought, right, we'll just have a couple of nights camping. So I haven't booked anywhere, thankfully. And, the build up, I was just dreading just 2 nights next week.
I'd have just been dreading it because I know that I will be there by myself for 1 night with 2 children, and that's for my grandson as well. Anyway, I've been caught kind of dropping hints all day and saying like, woah. You know? It's gonna be very dark by 20 to 9, and it's gonna be very cold.
[00:03:58] Unknown:
Frightening the poor children. Trying to. Trying to.
[00:04:02] Unknown:
And, I've just basically thought of it earlier, and I thought, right. Don't give up, Shelley. Don't give up. So I had words, and I said, I've got an idea. And he's like, what? I said, how about we set up our big tent in the garden? And he was like, oh, the big green one. I mean, bear in mind, this will take up my whole grass spot.
[00:04:23] Unknown:
Oh, no.
[00:04:24] Unknown:
And Darren has, like, seeded this grass. That that grass is a baby. No. But I'm sure we'd rather that, like, gets fixed, like, with the sun and rain in a week or so rather than endure 2 night and then me endure 2 nights camping. So I Yeah. I mean, that I kind of figure then you see that if that's up all week, the last week of the summer holidays, they can stay out there as many times as they like. They can take the Lego out there. They can come in whenever. They've got their second little den during the daytime. There is that. There is that. And I've said to take them out on the bikes. So
[00:05:04] Unknown:
Well, you know, you've gotta do what you've gotta do. But like I said, camping, I just I just don't get it. I mean, I suppose the good compromise for you guys is, you know, you've only gotta take whatever items out of your house to your back garden. You know? So you're, like, shortening the whole pain threshold. Whereas if you were going to a campsite, you have to load the car up. You have to drive there. You have to unload the car. You then have to, like, set the tent up. No. No. And I think I get that from going back to the good old 19 seventies.
I don't have a memory of camping in a tent per se, but, my parents used to be big into drag racing. And there used to be a place called Santopod. I think it's still going. And, you know, I'm talking age 5 and 6. So the journey from our house in London to Santopod would have felt like a long time. So, you know, that was all a bit arduous. But when we got there, you know, they they weren't wasting time setting up a tent for their 2 children. It's like, no, kids. You can sleep in the car. So we slept in the car. My mom slept passenger seat. My dad drivers.
I was on the back shelf of the back of the car, and my brother had, like, the the the whole of the back seat to himself. And I'm the pom sod that's, like, in the back window for all 19 seventies perverts to see. Yeah. So I think I probably scarred life over that. Yeah. Don't like it. Don't like it. I wouldn't mind if it was warmer,
[00:07:11] Unknown:
truth be told. And probably if we was further away, if we was gonna go a couple of hours away and we planned a few days and day trips and stuff. But because we decided we'd just keep it local for. I'm just being a good mum, but now I'm an even better mum because the tent's going in the garden for a week.
[00:07:29] Unknown:
And she's probably brides in with Lego and Yep. Soft and whatever else. You want. Absolutely. Wow. But then somebody that I work with, I think in the next couple of days, because, of course, it'd be September soon, won't it? And then it'd be Christmas. That's another conversation for another day. But, she's going to France, and she's going to stay on a campsite over there. And, of course, when she told me, I was like, camping. And she was like, no. No. They're really good. And she showed me some pictures. Yeah. I get it.
Lots of people do do that. And, you know,
[00:08:19] Unknown:
Yeah. I get it. Lots of people do do that. And, you know, we've got all the gear. All the gear, guys. We bought it All the gear and no idea. We've got the idea. I just get bored. I get so bored. So, like, you know, dark at happy state. What we gonna do? What we gonna do? You know? Well, that's it. What would you do? Well, you would go to bed early and then wake up early, wouldn't you? But I would end up drinking loads of wine and well Just to make it through. Just to make it through.
[00:08:48] Unknown:
Just to make it through. Just to make it through. Yeah. I it's it's not for me. It's not for me. Because, like, you know, I don't know about you. But right now, obviously, because I've had a week off work, I'm sat at home. I'm sat at home in my comfy dressing gown, and we've not even got round to talking slippers, but with miss slippers on, cup of tea. Now you could not do that if you were camping. Like you said, get stuck, didn't it? Up our state, quarter 9. And it's You can't really yeah. You can't really sit around in your dress and gown and slippers, can you, on a campsite?
[00:09:31] Unknown:
No. Well, even in the house, I've resorted to my slippers tonight as well. Flip flops. They've Have Yep.
[00:09:38] Unknown:
What? Hang on. Actual flip flops or are they like slipper flip flops? No. No. No. Because you can get, like, the fluffy bits, can't you, between your toes? No. No. They were my flip flops that I wear as slippers as well. And
[00:09:52] Unknown:
tonight, I've gone upstairs, and I've delved into the wardrobe and found a pair of furry slippers because my feet are cold.
[00:10:00] Unknown:
Wow. Now now here's the thing about slippers. Have you noticed well, you probably have and not really taken much notice because it's just one of those things. But when you buy slippers, they're not like size, you know, 3 or 4 or 5. They go size, let's say, 2 to 4 or slippers 5 to 6, and then it's, like, 7 to 8. And I'm like, well, once once and one time only, I made the mistake of going, I will buy for my correct size of foot, which is a 7. But, of course, a 7 to an 8 and and slippers always stretch. So size 7 of the foot actually stretch, but then I add additional room in them because they were an 8. And then I was coming down the stairs 1. So, of course, they're too big for me. So down I went with a Burton. So now I buy size 5 to 6, and I have to go through that pain threshold of stretching them out. Do you do that?
I mean, I've got you know, this is when this is when we need the phone in button because I'm sure there's listeners out there that go, do you know what? Yeah. I'm an in between size and I have to stretch them out, or I have to take my life in my own hands and get a pair that's too big for me.
[00:11:39] Unknown:
It will be a good call in. No. It's funny you say about half sizes actually because, you know, ages ago, I bought my lovely doctor Martin Mary Jane heels. Yeah. Yes. And I couldn't walk in them very well, and they're, like, great clod up in things. They really are. And I feel like I'm lifting my leg up to a walk. And I've only worn them about 5 or 6 times. And a couple of months ago, I thought, do you know what? I'm gonna sell them on Vinted. I paid stupid money for them on Klarna, of course, good old Klarna. And I just think they're not gonna get worn. And that's a nice lump of sum of money for parents' birthday party.
Oh. Oh. Yes. And loads of people have messaged me on Vinted, like, would you accept this? Blah blah. And I say, yes. Just let's have them gone, but they never make the payment. And somebody messaged me today, and she said, is it true that you've gotta go down a size with these shoes? And I said, yes. You have. I said, because I'm a 6, and these are a 5. Anyway, she messaged me right back, and she said, will you take offers? And I said, I'll take £85. That's as low as I'm going. She said, brilliant. Anyway, and she paid for it now and then. Oh, wow. So this half size thing has been a topic today. Yeah.
[00:12:50] Unknown:
Well well, there you go. There you go. So
[00:12:53] Unknown:
must typically I don't tend to wear a pair of slippers that you put your whole foot in. Mine are like half a slipper.
[00:13:00] Unknown:
You know what I mean? Do you? You see, I call those almost like a Bettelidge kind of slipper. You know? Like, they're like a mule, aren't they? Yes. They are. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I'm I'm I'm not those. I like a full booty, a full booty slipper.
[00:13:19] Unknown:
Well, I did have a nice pair of those. And at the old house, the dog was a puppy. Oh, running down that stairs. Well, I would be walking down the stairs. He'd be following me and chasing the bloody balls hanging off them. So I've just never gone back to them.
[00:13:33] Unknown:
No. No. But then, of course, you know, we then have to talk about the socks that you wear with the slippers. Because once your feet warm up and if you got the socks on, your feet start to sweat and then they cool down and that sweat is all cold and then your feet just go cold again in the slippers. So you really have to think about what you're actually putting on your feet sock wise before you put your slippers on.
[00:14:03] Unknown:
Do you have any of that? I haven't got any socks on, Jo, but my feet are really cold. Really cold. They're still cold. They're still cold. So I need socks as well or a fella slipper.
[00:14:15] Unknown:
Well, I'll let you into a little secret. I've got a hot water bottle right now. Lovely. Now I know it's not like freezing cold, but there's a real sort of chill in the air. You know? It's definitely a real Can I even say the word autumnal? I've never heard of the word so much in the last couple of weeks, but it is. Yes. But that seems to have come on, like, really quick, doesn't it? You know? Probably about 2 weeks ago, I noticed when I was driving home from work, sort of, you know, court pass between court pass and half past day, you know, you can see the light going. It's starting to get dark. And, you know, I've got out of the car, and I'm like, oh my god. That's a real drop in temperature.
So it seems to have just, like, you know, the drop of a hat come really quickly. So, yeah, I'm I'm having a lovely time, sat at home in my slippers, my dressing gown, hot water bottle, and a cup of tea. I'm living the dream. Living the dream.
[00:15:21] Unknown:
You sound like it. Well, I will be now anyway because I haven't gotta go camping. What a relief. What a relief indeed. So I I heard you mention earlier. You mentioned it in passing. Just couldn't get onto this because funny incident again. You said you've been to a dentist this week. I have. You've got a dentist. You are lucky.
[00:15:43] Unknown:
Well, I am lucky because it's not an NHS dentist.
[00:15:48] Unknown:
Oh, you're not in a scheme, are you?
[00:15:51] Unknown:
I am. But, again, that that stems from my mother and not so much oh, I can tell you so many things about 19 seventies. That stems from my mother's madness of she had a really bad experience as a child with the school dentist. And, you know, I've heard the horror stories. So she's always been really wary of dentists, and she's always been very wary of what you brush your teeth with. So my brother and I
[00:16:37] Unknown:
had
[00:16:39] Unknown:
I don't really know what to say about it. Had the misfortune or maybe the fortune because, touch wood, we've never had any problems with our teeth. My mom was very mindful about what we were brushing our teeth with, and she said she did some research. But let's bear in mind, there was no computers or Internet back in the day. So where she got her research from, I have no idea. We used to brush our teeth with salt.
[00:17:11] Unknown:
Oh, nice.
[00:17:13] Unknown:
No, Shelley. As a child, it was not nice. A mouthful of salt, salt on your toothbrush, brushing your teeth. No. No. Thank you. So, yeah, my mum my mum, she she has a thing about dentists. So when there was the opportunity to go private as a dentist, that's it. The whole family went private.
[00:17:40] Unknown:
And they told her not to give you salt as
[00:17:45] Unknown:
toothpaste. I I I actually remember being told by my mom, don't tell the dentist that you've ever brushed your teeth with salt.
[00:17:54] Unknown:
But they were they in good condition? Had it worked?
[00:17:57] Unknown:
Yes. Yes. Yes. Absolutely.
[00:18:00] Unknown:
So probably an old wives' tale, an old medical medicine story, and it's,
[00:18:05] Unknown:
it's worked. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I had to have, you know, so many things went through my head when the dentist said the word x rays to me, you know, because I'm like, oh my god. Here we go. You know, that's all, sort of not a conspiracy, but we know they're not the best thing. So, anyway, I'm just like, just do it now because, you know, I'll be honest with you. I'm not gonna be skipping or running back to this place. I avoid you like the plague. Took the X rays, and she did a comparison between the last slot I had, which apparently was 10 years ago. She said nothing's changed.
Your bone density in your teeth is the same. Your apparently, now they measure your gum. They can measure your gums. At what? She said, I'm really surprised, pleasantly surprised that the state of your teeth and gums have not changed in 10 years. And I did actually think to myself, don't say it, Joe. Don't say. That's because I'm a child of the seventies, and I had to brush my teeth with soap. I didn't. But yeah. Oh. How how'd you find dentists?
[00:19:22] Unknown:
I absolutely hate hate them. When I had a tooth out about 8 years ago, I had to pump myself full of Diazepan. I was crying in the waiting room because my face was the size of the golf ball. I see. No. It was horrendous, and it was the pain. I tell you what, I'd rather give birth than have toothache. Really? Yes. Yeah. Absolutely. Touch wood, I haven't had any niggles since then, but I don't have a dentist as such. I would just put it on a credit card and go private if I had any problems because I would like I say, anything but dental pain. I did go about 18 months ago, and I prayed privately be prayed. I paid privately because everybody was posting things like I need a dentist, I've got really bad toothache, and it made me feel sick. So I was like I need to go and just check everything's alright. So I think I paid about £100 and they gave me the once over, everything's fine, blah, blah, blah, blah.
And that was that. But if I wanted to stay on their list, I had to go again and pay another stupid amount of money, and I was like, I'll chance it. But Yeah. I've been to a dentist this morning to make an appointment for a resident at work. So after booking him in and everything like that, I says to the woman, can I please put my name on the list for the NHS waiting list? She said you can, but I'm afraid it's a 20 year wait. What? I don't and we both just laughed. Laughed. I can't believe it. No. That's outrageous. Yeah. She said it's a I said, oh, I won't bother then.
[00:20:54] Unknown:
That's outrageous. No. No. No. No. Like, I'm sure it's changed. But when we joined, they assess your mouth and they grade it according to how good or bad it may be, and you pay a price within that grade. So providing your mouth is in good health and and whatever, you only end up paying something. Like, I think I pay maybe 10, £11
[00:21:26] Unknown:
something per month. I think I will look into it. I don't think they work out too bad, actually. They don't. And I tell you what. Once and everything for free, don't we, on the NHS? Yeah. I would rather
[00:21:38] Unknown:
I would rather do that than pay a lump
[00:21:42] Unknown:
sum, you know? Can you Klarna it?
[00:21:45] Unknown:
Well You probably can. I'd I yeah. I I think, you know, Klarna, Clearpay, and there's another one as well. I can't remember what it's called, but, I think they're just weaseling their way into everyday life, and I say bring it on.
[00:22:02] Unknown:
Yeah. Definitely. Definitely.
[00:22:04] Unknown:
Bring it on. In actual fact, what did I buy the other day? Eyebrow dye.
[00:22:11] Unknown:
That's what I bought. Oh, I want you to do my eyebrows.
[00:22:15] Unknown:
Oh, god. Here we go. Here we go. So right. Now you're gonna put the fear of god into me about your eyebrows. I'm gonna have it just out of here. I can just keep them off and draw them back on, can't I? I think you really look like Pet Lynch with your slippers and your eyebrows.
[00:22:33] Unknown:
Okay. Alright. Maybe not. It's just those bloody white ones that keep coming up. Yeah. Yeah. If I didn't paint those on in the morning, I well, cover up the white hairs. It's just like I've I'm a fake, Jo. I'm a fake. The blonde hair Right. The the colored in eyebrows. I'm a fake and a photo. Listen.
[00:22:56] Unknown:
When we get to our age, women have to start getting artistic with paint. They really do. You know? But the thing is with those white ones, and I've made the mistake more times than I care to remember, you pluck the white one out, but you don't realize the actual root because it's gray. It's almost, like, embedded even deeper, hasn't it? So you pluck it out and it leaves like a bloody great big hole. Like, you've taken you haven't, but it's like you've taken several hairs around that one eyebrow out as well. And I was like, add a gold sort of a gold patch. That would be nice, wouldn't it? A bold patch in my eyebrows.
And I've quite often thought to myself, well, maybe I'll just get, like, a razor blade to, like, just do that line through it. You know, like, you see the kids. Yeah. Just try and disguise the bold. Stay young. Stay young. Yeah. Yeah. But no. But it it is a pain. It is a pain. One time. One time, I left the eyebrow dye on for too long. Oh my god. What did you do? I won't do it to you. I promise I won't do that to you. Yeah. I oh, I can't even I can't even tell you what I look like. And then I put it on Facebook, like, oh my god. Somebody help me. And then a mutual friend of ours said, oh, have you got any nail polish remover? And I'm like, yeah. She said use that.
Well, I did, but I was like, I, like, I didn't, but I was rubbing so hard. It was like I had wire wool and nail polish remover. So I got rid of the darkness, but I've replaced it with red because I'd rubbed myself red raw. Oh my god. See, this is why I'm good at everything because I've made so many mistakes on myself before.
[00:25:04] Unknown:
You've gotta try, though, haven't you? I'm gonna cancel my eyelash appointment for next week. You know how much I love my eyelashes. Oh, yeah. I can't justify it, Jo. When I get a day off, do I really wanna drive there? You know? So I'm just gonna invest in some cheapy ones and practice putting them on. But I think I've said to you before, when I did that, I was stood at a pub with Darren, and he said, Shelley, you've got an eyelash on your cheek. And, I mean, the whole strip of them was on my cheek. I was so embarrassed. Quickly pulled the other one off. Yeah. So Well, you can get, like,
[00:25:38] Unknown:
magnetic ones now, can't you? No. Put, like, glue
[00:25:42] Unknown:
on the ones. Magnetic ones. Okay. They were not. They were. They were. I've tried it, but I feel more confident now in, like, doing things with my hair and stuff. I'll just watch if you've gotta keep persevering, aren't you? I think my problem is I tried it once. It doesn't work, so I give up. That's just here I am.
[00:26:01] Unknown:
Yes. Yeah. Yeah. I must admit. It is and it's difficult when you're sort of holding a hairdryer or a styling tong, you know, because well, I mean, it's not a natural position to be sat there with your arms stuck up in the air doing something. You know? So myself so many times. Yeah. Oh, that's not good. Not good. But No. No. Hey, hon.
[00:26:26] Unknown:
Right. Well, Jo, do you know what? We've more or less come to the end.
[00:26:30] Unknown:
Have we? We have. We have. Well, that's that's good timing because my hot water bottle is not so hot. So I'd go top it up. Well, I use woman. And now I love it. I like a wheat bag.
[00:26:42] Unknown:
And, you know, it's just like it's like my teddy bear. But I keep running downstairs every, like, hour and, like, topping it up another minute. And then Darren will do it for me just before I go to bed. It's just Bless him. Oh, I know. It's my Well, you can get those ones that smell of lavender as well. They don't last very long. I think I think you burn the smell out of them. Oh, nice. Because I like the black hot because they recommend 3 minutes. I'm like, that's not gonna give me enough heat. I need it for 5 minutes. Nothing, is it? No. The warmer, the better. And I'd rather have it too hot so you leave it out and then keep putting it back behind you when the temperature's right rather than having to keep heat it up.
Anyway, some boring information for you. Right, my lovely. Well, I'm gonna let you, well, not get back to work, get back to your hot water bottle, and you'll relax in. And thank you for the chat as always. And,
[00:27:32] Unknown:
that's okay. I'll catch up you with another day. Take care, my lovely. Speak soon. Bye.
[00:27:39] Unknown:
Bye. Wrong music. I do apologize if you can hear my dog whining in the background. The kids are out in the garden. Darren is not here. So I'm gonna play a quick song and go and give the dog a chew. We'll try and shut him in another ring, and then we'll get Tracy Barnes on to have a chat. So here we go. Have a little listen of this one. If it's gonna play. People have the power. I do like this song. Yes. Right. I'm gonna sort my dog out.
[00:28:26] Unknown:
I was dreaming in my dream and well of an aspect bright and fair. And my sleeping, it was broken. But my dream, it lingered near in the farm of shining valleys with a pure hair, rare fight. And my senses unduly Believe it. If to hear. And the armies ceased advancing because the people had their ear, and the shepherds and the soldiers, well, they laid off beneath the
[00:33:05] Unknown:
I want to join a choir and sing that song. I love that song. Yes. People do have the power, and we must continue to use our voices. Anyway, we are live on Rumble, streaming live on Rumble. If anybody wanted to leave a comment or join in the conversation, just look at my name, Shelley Tasker. Right. Part 2. Here we are. We are going to have a good old chat with, Tracy. Bear with me one second. Oh, it was there. Right. Tracy, let's get you on the line. Had Tracy on a few times before about the care home situation, the COVID jabs, and times in lockdown.
Hello. Good evening, missus Barnes. How are you doing? I'm alright. You alright? I'm alright. Thank you. Right. So, my lovely, always lots to talk about. Should we delve in about what's happening with our work situation?
[00:34:03] Unknown:
Yeah.
[00:34:04] Unknown:
Do you wanna start?
[00:34:09] Unknown:
I think everyone's still processing it, to be honest. Yes. Yes. Well, I don't know. There's a lot a lot of anger.
[00:34:17] Unknown:
We better tell the audience a minute what's going on quickly. Basically, where myself and Tracy work, it has been agreed to close the care home down in 6 months' time. And that's it, basically. But it sounds simple, but there's a lot of heartache. Well, not from just residents and residents' families and staff. It's all, like Tracy said, it's still quite raw, and we're still trying to process it.
[00:34:44] Unknown:
So I think I think a lot of it is, obviously, things have happened in the build up to this, and there was a lot of questions going around over certain things happening. So people have been moved around. People have left and gone into other areas, which was a little bit odd. And I think that got everybody talking. And I think I'm just a lot I think a lot of my anger is more at I think we were sort of maybe looked at a little bit as if we were a bit stupid and couldn't put 22 together.
[00:35:23] Unknown:
Definitely.
[00:35:24] Unknown:
And, you know, even when we were asking questions, we were kind of brushed off, and nothing was really resolved or said. And then suddenly, it was like, no. We're having a meeting. Boom. This is what's happening. When it's things that we've all been asking for sort of weeks weeks. Yes. Really. And it just it just felt a little bit like, a slap in the face, really.
[00:35:49] Unknown:
Yeah. Because, like you say, this has been up in the air for a few weeks, and, you know, the morale is low when you've got people looking at jobs when they're at work. All just saying, what can I do next? Where can I go? And, I mean, it's not ultimately about us. I mean, obviously, our lives are important, but it's the dear residents that we look after, isn't it?
[00:36:11] Unknown:
Yeah. And I think that's that's what's upsetting people. That's what's upset me a lot is, yes, it's awful. We're all you know, we all need to look for new jobs. But, you know, I think what we need to remember is right at the heart of all of this, these people are losing their home. Yeah. And for a lot of them, it's somewhere that they've come to know, they understand their you know, they've got their own routines in place. They feel safe. They feel comfortable.
[00:36:44] Unknown:
Yeah. They know the staff.
[00:36:47] Unknown:
I've seen time and time again just from previous experience and I I've worked in care for a long time now. And you do see sort of over the years, you see patterns with things. And and, unfortunately, as horrible as it sounds, it it's really traumatic for these people to be moved.
[00:37:06] Unknown:
Yeah. I don't doubt it. I mean, just seeing, like, a couple of the residents moved down to the downstairs of the building Yeah. They've struck And a
[00:37:14] Unknown:
a lot of people and a you know, who were moved, and they have trauma in in this. Because it it, you know, it for us, it's just, oh, you know, you're just going to somewhere different, but it it that's not how it is for these guys. And, unfortunately, you do see times where, you know, it it does sort of signal the end for some people. They they will not survive a move. They just won't. And I think that's that's really upsetting because, you know, we know that. And you you look around and you sort of you you know, you find yourself looking at people going, yeah. I don't think, you know, you're not. You're you won't.
[00:37:57] Unknown:
Yeah. I know what you're saying because, I mean, although, like, lots of our patients have got dementia and stuff, and they might not know your names, but they recognize you, don't they?
[00:38:05] Unknown:
Yeah. And they recognize their environment. They might not necessarily, be, acclimatized to sort of time, person, or or place as such, but they'll recognize, like, their bedroom door. They'll recognize their numb a number. They'll recognize that, you know, they have to walk down this way and go back and turn left or turn right. You know? So it's it it is it's one of those situations where it it's just it's just horrible for everybody. It's just awful. It's awful.
[00:38:38] Unknown:
It is. And
[00:38:40] Unknown:
I think what made me cross as well is from, from my sort of position point of view within work, you kind of feel a sense of duty. And I I do have a duty of care to the staff Yeah. And to those that I lead when I'm on shift. And and seeing them upset and not being able to reassure them or answer their questions because I I don't know. You know? I don't know what's gonna happen to everybody. I don't know where everyone's gonna get jobs. I don't know how everyone's gonna gonna be at the end of all of this. And it it, you know, it makes it really difficult. It makes it really hard because, you know, we work with these people as a team.
And, I mean, you you know yourself. You see them more than you see your family somewhere. Yes. They become your family. Yeah. And it and it is like that. And I know some people laugh and scoff at it, don't they, when you say, oh, no. You know, we're at work. You know, we're a family. I work family. But it is really like that.
[00:39:47] Unknown:
Yeah. I agree. And it's it it's been hard because, like, the last 6 months, we've had a change, haven't we, where we've had a big team of an Indian community that have come in to help. And it takes a long time to build friendships, doesn't it? Especially, people of different origins and stuff like that. There is that slight, language barrier. And, I mean, now I feel that all of these guys, I can have a conversation.
[00:40:09] Unknown:
I know more about them, but it but it took a long time. Yeah. And like you said, I mean, when it when it all first sort of came about, there was, like, that big culture shift and change and, you know, learning to, you know, realize that sometimes whereas we're we're very much brought up, aren't we, as a society? Please, thank yous, this, you know, your p's and your q's and everything else. When somebody comes across as rude, that might actually not be what they're being. This is it's just how they interact and how they're you know? So it and I think, you know, overcoming that was a bit difficult at first and, you know, getting to sort of gel the team together. But I think right at the point where we have got a good team there Oh, we've got a very good team. Everybody Yeah. You know, and everybody's working really well together.
And then suddenly, you've got, like, well, actually, sorry.
[00:41:04] Unknown:
Yeah. And for lots of these people, they've got the fear now of well, their visa runs at the end of November, doesn't it? So I mean Yeah. Although we're some sponsorships
[00:41:14] Unknown:
and things which
[00:41:16] Unknown:
Although we're, like, obviously, just as much as priority, but we've got till the end of March, these guys, they need their sponsorship sorted before the end of November, and that's only 3 months. It must be quite frightening when they've got children that are, like, now in school here and stuff like that. And I didn't realize the other day, like, all the stories that go behind it. You know, we were talking about the things that, you know, these poor guys have had to go through just to just to get here. And then when they got here, I think the the company that they were with
[00:41:51] Unknown:
just treated them appallingly. Absolutely. It it was it was awful. They were hitting traffic, weren't they, really? Yeah. And it was awful what these guys went through. And and I just you know? And I, you know, I I don't for a minute. I'm not gonna stand there, and I'm not gonna sit there. And I did say this when I spoke to everybody. Alright. We got everybody in in the the lounge, and I sort of said to everybody, you know, this is the time when we need to be supporting each other. We are, as a team, we're the only ones who know what each other's going through with this, and we just need to make sure we're there for each other. But I'm not gonna sit here and say I know what you're going through because I don't.
No. You know, I've never had that fear of, oh my god. If I don't have a job, I'm gonna get sent away to another country. Sure. Sure. When it's But I've tried but I've left to try to to better myself Yeah. Than my family and what have you, and, you know, we've not got that fear. Yes. We've got the fear of, you know, if I'm not earning, how do I pay my mortgage? How do I feed my family? How do I pay my bills? How do I pay my rent? Things like that. But, you know, that doesn't compare to, right, we're shipping you out now. Yeah. Yeah. You know? And I think, yes, there's not you know, there shouldn't be a priority thing where, well, you know, this this group of people get priority over this group of people for jobs and things like that. But I and I don't think that's how it will be done.
But I do think there needs to be a little bit of understanding that, actually, we've got until November to help these people
[00:43:27] Unknown:
Yeah. Which isn't long.
[00:43:29] Unknown:
And that you know, they and they do, in that sense, they probably do take priority in that side of it.
[00:43:36] Unknown:
Yeah. I agree. I agree.
[00:43:39] Unknown:
You know? And I know that's probably not gonna be a popular opinion. No. But it is time wise. We've got more time than them. Yeah. Exactly. And, you know, have I been looking at other other possibilities? Yes. Because I think, you know, we'll all be silly if we aren't looking on Indeed or whatever, total jobs or whatever the other one is. But I'm not I'm not recklessly just applying for anything and everything. You know? I've got you know, we've got the time to you know, they have said that they will try and accommodate people where they can Yes. And and, you know, try and help them where they can within the company, which is great.
But, you know, I did make a point of saying that as, you know, for me personally, and I'm you know, this may be the same for some of my other seniors, I've worked really hard to get the qualifications I've got Absolutely. And to get to the position I'm in, and I'm not willing to step back in my career and step and step backwards. Do you know what I mean? I'm I'm not willing to do that. So it will be you know, I'm sort of waiting to see what is available, but I'm not holding my breath that it will be anything that I will be able to take.
[00:44:58] Unknown:
No. I totally understand that as well. I am I'm gonna hold out, I think. And there there are options, but, like, you know, you like, you know, it takes a lot of qualifications to be a supervisor and stuff. And I've seen you doing all your studying, coming in on your days off and stuff like that. It's it's a hell of a lot of work
[00:45:15] Unknown:
to manage a team and residents.
[00:45:18] Unknown:
It is. And I think, do you know, I've got my, you know, my level 4 now, in leadership and what have you. I've got my qualification for, venipuncture, which is blood taking, so I can do all of that. Clinical observations, I can do. So, you know, I do a lot more than what your average senior would do. Yeah. So we're sort of more on the level of a nursing associate, but not quite.
[00:45:49] Unknown:
Yeah. Yeah. Whatever you say. You know? So it it's
[00:45:54] Unknown:
I know some people say, well, you know, if you're desperate for a job, you'll take whatever. And if it got to that point, yes, of course, I would because I need to pay, like, pay pay my bills and feed my family. But I won't willingly take a step backwards in my career. Do you know what I mean? And, you know, there is things out there. I mean, you look on these sites, and there are countless care jobs out there all over all the time. There's always care jobs, but it's not the same. No. It's not. When you've when you've built up that that community, when you've built up that family, when you've built up that environment within that home, it hurts when it something like this happens. You do feel like something's been ripped away a little bit.
[00:46:41] Unknown:
Yeah. It was a strange thing because, like I say, like, a couple of weeks leading up to this meeting, we were all kind of looking and we all had our feelings and suspicions of what was gonna happen. And I even though we knew it was coming, I didn't expect to feel so kicked in the teeth. And I'm a crier, Tracy, and I know you are as well. And when we were in that meeting, I was, like, crying, and I was like, stop. Stop, Shelley. Stop. Because it didn't make a lot of people
[00:47:07] Unknown:
you said that. I mean, I had a I had a cry, as you know, but I think a lot of my thing is I I cry when I'm angry. Yeah. I do as well. But just
[00:47:17] Unknown:
seeing all those people there, all the staff, you know, come together, cleaners that have been there for 13 years and stuff. And,
[00:47:23] Unknown:
you know, my heart what what got me was there was people that have just started Yeah. Yeah. That took jobs with us rather than elsewhere. And I just think, oh, you know, my god. You know, these poor people, they're gonna have to start again. And it it you know, it's hard enough now trying to get a job to then get one and then know that, actually, in 6 months' time sorry. And and that's 6 months is a generous thing. Do you know what I mean? If if things can progress quicker, they will. It's not as simple, quite as simple as what was said in the meeting.
I know it was a case of, you know, we'll reassess and rehome. Things don't work that easily.
[00:48:04] Unknown:
No.
[00:48:06] Unknown:
There are not that there aren't there are not enough beds in Cornwall.
[00:48:10] Unknown:
And this is the worry, isn't it, where most of our residents are gonna go? One of the residents' mothers came in the other day and no. Daughter. And she said, oh, we're from so and so and so and so. She said, I hope she's not gonna be put as far as, like, St. Austell. And I thought, my god. If you get somewhere like St. Austell, you're actually gonna be very lucky.
[00:48:28] Unknown:
Yeah. I mean fear of you know. I asked. I asked. You know, I mean, you know, I was asking the questions at the meeting, and I asked, you know, will we be sending people out of county? Because, you know, that is just another kick Yeah. To everybody. And we were told categorically no. But my point and, obviously, my other senior's point was, but if there's no beds, what are our options? Yeah. You know? Because that that's the only other option we're gonna have. And, you know, it's been on the news, recently, this care home in Truro, which closed the the nursing home, and they've still got 5 or 6 residents there that they can't rehome.
[00:49:10] Unknown:
Yeah. It's not easy.
[00:49:11] Unknown:
You know? It's not nursing beds are literally a diamond. You know? You you cannot get enough of them in court. You you just can't find them. And they're just shutting nursing homes. Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom. And we're crying out for nursing beds, and I just it just makes me you know, we don't look after our elderly. We don't. Not properly. No. We don't. They've put it into the system, haven't they, all their years? These people have worked hard all their lives. Some of them, majority of them, because of the sort of era and whatever they were brought up in, were brought up on the, you know, you work. You work for what you have. You work for your family, and you work hard.
And, you know, they've done that all their lives, and we struggle, I think, as a country to look after them. No. I think you're absolutely right. And it it's it's really sad, and it, you know, it really does sadden me. And, you know, there's things at the minute going on about, you know, will they be getting their winter, Fuel the night. Yeah. And things. You know? And I remember a story someone told me of somebody they know, and this this lovely lady, bless her. I mean, she's not with us anymore, but she, had a bus pass. And because she couldn't afford to heat her house, she would literally wrap up in her warmest clothes, get on a bus, and she would just stay on the bus all day.
Oh, it's awful. It's awful. You know? And I just think and this is this is how we're looking after these people. And this is this is how we're treating these people. And it is awful. It's awful.
[00:50:51] Unknown:
Yeah. And I don't see it getting much better under the government that we're in because he was one last year that said, you know, we won't be getting rid of this. And woah and behold, he's elected, and it's one of the first things he's done. Scrapped the allowance the allowance. It it it yeah. It it's just it's a sad state of affairs, you know, and I just we need to be looking after these people.
[00:51:12] Unknown:
You know, they've done like you said, they've done their dues. Now it's our turn to look after them, and I just you know and and people a lot of people, when you say to them, even now, there's such this thing around sort of care workers and stuff, and someone finds out you're a carer, and immediately, their thoughts are, oh, you wipe bums and do cups of tea. Yeah. Only that. You know? And they think that's all we do, and it it's quite insulting because we do a lot more a lot more than that. I don't think carers are appreciated or paid enough for what they do.
[00:51:48] Unknown:
No. They're not. Definitely. And that side of it, you see, I mean, I've done care work for years years. And Yeah. You know, if I have to go back to that side of it, I will, like you, I will do anything to, like, provide for my family. But I don't want to go back to that stage of it because I'm not just it's, and the thing is I wanted to spend more time with people and Yeah. Do a little bit more. And you can't do that when you've, you know, you're just doing the the care side of it. Yeah. Of course, you can chat to them and everything like that. But I wanted to do, you know, a little bit more engaging stuff. But, people do, oh, yeah. You're just a carer. They haven't got a clue. I mean, you know, my job's the activities coordinator.
I'm the one that sorts out bloody dentists for people and things. It's not my job, but we all do it there. I mean,
[00:52:36] Unknown:
the activity side of it, again, people don't realize how important that is. I mean, they if we didn't have somebody like you there, these people would just stare at walls all day. Yeah. Do do you know what I mean? Oh, yes. Yeah. It's it's a you know, we've got to help you know, mental well-being is as important, if not more so than everything else. Yeah. Still You know? Yeah. And I truly believe that. And I just you know, I do get caught when people say, oh, you're just a carer or oh, you just, you know, you just do cups of tea and sit there all day. I wish I wish that's all we had to do, but it's not. Do you know what I mean? We deal with death regularly.
Mhmm. Sometimes we're the last people that these guys will see before they pass away. You know? And we have to deal with that on a regular basis. And it it does take its toll on people and it does I always, you know, I've always said, because I always I do you know, I might look when we've had someone pass away. I'm quite clinical about it Mhmm. At the time. Obviously, I'm not when I'm in with the individual. I'm you know, that's completely different. But when it comes to actually, you know, assisting the nurse to verify and all that sort of thing, you've got to be quite clinical with it all and and structured and and to the point and what's happening.
But I'll sort of, you know, I'll come home and I'll have a cry in the shower or I'll shut myself in the office for 20 minutes and get it all out of my system. But it does stay with you, and I think the day that things like that don't affect you, that's the day you need to get out of the job.
[00:54:18] Unknown:
Yeah. Yeah. You know? I I you know? I've been to a lot of funerals this year, and I just feel that I have to do my part. You know? I think the last time I had a week off annual leave, I went to 2 funerals. But then these people, they become part of my life. And,
[00:54:32] Unknown:
they do. And, again, we see these people more probably more than some of their families do. Yeah. And, you know, I know that in within care, there's this whole thing where, you know, we're professional. We don't get too close. We don't it things like that, I just think you can't help it. You'd be human, would you? No. And you do become close with with these people, and you do get your little favorites, and you do get the ones that, you know, mean a lot. Yeah. I mean, we had a lady a while back. You'll know who I'm talking about. Bless her little heart. And, I had a phone call to tell me that she'd passed because, you know, everyone knew how close I was to her. And it you know, she affected me really badly, actually. It was her she's one that will stay with me.
And you you do get attached to these people. And, you know, I think people forget that, you know, we give up our Christmases with our families to look after your family.
[00:55:35] Unknown:
Yeah. Yeah. And we do that. You know, you organized an amazing event last weekend. Just the listeners know we like to do, like, you know, I do the activities, but Tracy and all, they like their festivals and things. And last Saturday, we had a festival for the residents, and it was amazing. It was so amazing. We had all the residents out in the garden. We'd hired 2 musician 2 music acts. We had mocktails and sweets and ice lollies. And, yeah, it's just
[00:56:07] Unknown:
amazing. Oh, yeah. Proper little proper bracelets for our entry. It was it was really good. It was really good fun, but it's little things. And, you know, music music is one of those things that I think is such a good tool Definitely. For people, especially sort of, you know, people with dementia and Alzheimer's and things like that. Music can get to people like nothing else can.
[00:56:31] Unknown:
I noticed that on a Friday night and, Friday night, Friday afternoon. That's gotta be the highlight of the week when I sing because some of them that can't you know, you see them singing along to the old songs and stuff, and it and it's lovely. Yeah. And you get and you get people who don't verbalize No. No. At all. Any other time.
[00:56:50] Unknown:
Yet you sing a song that pings a memory for them, and you will see them singing. Yeah. Yeah. You know? And it's amazing, and it it it just it makes the job worthwhile.
[00:57:02] Unknown:
Definitely. When I was singing a a bit of Heidi Heidi Hi and I held up with 2 particular resident, and she was her only only host. It was amazing. Yeah. Yeah. And I always worry that this lady, judges me each week because she used to be a very good singer in her
[00:57:18] Unknown:
time. Oh, but But it's things like that, you know, and it's you know, I get you mean, you know me. I get quite emotional. Like, when we had the gospel choir Oh, yeah. Who were amazing. I mean, they were absolutely amazing, and we will have to have them back again before everything shuts. But, you know, everyone was getting emotional and tearing up with that. And it you know, seeing how it affected some of the guys and and, you know, it was just lovely.
[00:57:47] Unknown:
Yeah. It is awful, innit? Because you see a few tears, but, you know, it stirred a bit of emotion. Yeah. And they're not necessarily bad emotions, you know, memories, happiness.
[00:57:56] Unknown:
Yeah. And it but it's things like that that you kind of I'll go home of an evening, and I'll think, do you know what? It was worth it. Yeah. That was a highlight of my day. Yeah. You have this mind fixed, don't you? It was worth that 12 hour shift. It was worth that happening. It was worth that. You you know? And it's just it's like with with end of life and stuff, and then we'll probably end up having to do another one on end of life and stuff. We gotta talk about that. For me and I don't know how to I can't think of of a better word to say it, but end of life care for me is my preferred part of of the care industry. That's the area that I enjoy the most is end of life care. And I think for me, it's I feel it's a privilege and an honor to be with these people at the end. And the fact that, you know, their families allow us to be there with them at the end is really special.
Oh, it is. It's almost as important as the birth. It's just the other side, isn't it? Yeah. And, you know, my biggest thing is at the end of life, I think it, you know, all we want for these guys is for it to be a dignified and good death. Yeah. And, you know, we strive to achieve that as much as we possibly can.
[00:59:17] Unknown:
And you do an amazing job. And I've gotta stop you there, Tracy, because we've got literally 30 seconds until we finish. We could talk for hours. I know. I know. But you this is your 3rd time. You come back again in a couple of weeks. We're always gonna have good conversations like we do at work. Well, thank you for joining me, my lovely. And yeah. No. Thank you. And, you know, like I said, it's 6 months, but it's 6 months that we can you know, these these last 6 months, we're gonna make them the best. Definitely. Definitely. I love your attitude. Alright, my darling. Well, you take care, and I'll see you this week. See you later, my lovely. Take care, sweetie. Bye. Bye. Bye bye. And I'll see you next week, guys.
