Frankie Barrett, co-ordinator of home respite for the eastern region with Alzheimer Ireland, says it always helps to have a good sense of humour
As part of my role, I carry out assessments with client families. This involves calling to family homes, meeting families and clients, and doing assessments, which include a social history assessment.
This helps build a picture of the life the person led and forms an important part of the reminiscence therapy done by our trained care-workers while they are building up a relationship with the client.
The assessment helps identify the family's needs and involves listening to each individual family's fears and anxieties.
Assessments can last from one to three hours, depending on the individual family needs and the needs of the client.
They may want to talk, cry or look for answers to their various problems. I can then provide the family with information on our various services - home respite, day care and support groups.
I also advise them about respite in our day care in Blackrock, Co Dublin, and inform them of the respite they are entitled to through the HSE.
When I arrive at the office at around 9am there are usually a number of phone messages to be returned. They could be queries relating to families, care workers or calls from social workers, public health nurses or calls referred on from our helpline.
There may be a crisis to be dealt with - an urgent call from one of the social workers where a family is not coping well. In this case, an urgent appointment is made to meet the family.
As co-ordinator of the eastern region, I am responsible for the recruitment and training of care workers, who all go through our training block and receive placement training in one of our day centres to get hands-on experience.
We provide ongoing training for care workers and practise person-centred care, through which the client's dignity is preserved at all times.
Recently, we opened a new drop-in centre in Little Bray called The Monday Club. There, families and clients can come together for tea or coffee, recreation and information.
This runs for two hours every Monday morning and is a great opportunity for families to meet people in similar situations to themselves and to offer support to each other.
I enjoy meeting various people from all walks of life and have made some wonderful friends. It helps in my position to have a good sense of humour and always expect the unexpected.
• For information on the Alzheimer Society of Ireland call 01 284 6616 or its national helpline on 1 800 341 341.
- (In conversation with Ali Bracken)