Winter is a time when everyone needs to be extra careful with their wellbeing. The colder months can bring viruses and exacerbate health problems, and the long, dark hours can have an effect on mental health. It can be a challenging time for everyone here at Halland House.
Residents aren’t always able to spend much time outdoors in the winter months and it’s harder to take trips out in bad weather, so people are more likely to get frustrated and feel down. For our care staff, the short daylight hours often mean they arrive at work and go home in the dark. They have a more challenging time keeping everyone occupied and happy, and have extra work supporting residents who are ill or whose mobility is affected by the cold.
Supporting each other
During the wintertime, the residents in our Uckfield care home need our support more than ever. Lots of people with learning disabilities rely on a regular schedule of activities, which can be disrupted by inclement weather. Family members may not be able to visit as often, trips out can get cancelled, and even small changes to the usual way of doing things can be confusing and upsetting for some people. Residents who have physical disabilities, as well as learning disabilities, can find the cold, damp weather brings more pain and discomfort.
In response to the challenges of winter, we do everything we can to keep to schedules and make sure everyone is content. We run indoor exercise sessions and activities to keep our residents occupied. There’s also the winter play to practise for, something that almost everyone joins in with.
Our carers don’t just support our residents during this time, they also support each other. We’re like a big family here at Halland House, and everyone leans on each other. If someone is struggling, there is always someone they can turn to. For carers, it’s a busy time but also a time when they feel they are really helping people and making a difference.
The carer-resident relationship can go both ways, too. By caring for someone and helping them learn how to do things for themselves, our staff members get a boost to their own wellbeing. It’s one of the most rewarding jobs you can do.
A good time to begin a career in care
This is a perfect time to launch a career in care if it’s something you’ve been considering. Good carers aren’t easy to find, so we do all we can to look after the ones we have. During this time when our residents need more emotional and physical support, carers really come into their own. It’s a time when new carers can get to grips with everything involved with the job. It can be hard work and you’ll need a good sense of humour and a lot of patience, but it’s hugely rewarding.
If you’re wondering whether learning disability care is right for you, think about the kind of person you are. Caring and compassion are two necessary traits, as well as a can-do attitude and the ability to adapt to any situation. Challenging behaviour is something you’ll need to be ready for, and while training is provided it’s also good if you have some experience with specialist care.
If you’re looking for care jobs in Uckfield, East Sussex, take a look at the careers page on our website to see what positions are currently available and to find out more about what the job entails.