Two North Shields care workers have spoken of how "it takes a particular kind of person to work in care", but that their job is more rewarding than anything else they could imagine.
Steve Taylor and Laura Willis both work at the Appleby Care Home in North Shields - and they both found looking after family members inspired them to take up a career in care. They told ChronicleLive how working in the stretched sector could be incredibly difficult, but that it was worth it "when you see the smiles on faces".
Appleby is a home which cares for those with dementia and nursing needs. Steve, 59, is the home's maintenance lead - but has previously worked as a care team leader and an activities co-ordinator at Appleby too.
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Steve's current job involves far more than changing lightbulbs and health and safety though - he has created all manner of features for the home, including creating a bespoke bar upstairs to remind residents of heading down the pub. He also set up a sensory garden including a beach scene and puts his "heart and soul" into setting up Christmas events with a Santa's Grotto.
He told ChronicleLive: "I had always wanted to put a bar in a care home. That's me all over - making things and trying to get things done. As for Christmas, this was the first year we could have the grotto again. We had Santa with his sleigh on the roof."
He has worked at Appleby for about eight years he said, and worked at two other care homes before that - but prior to this, his career was as a plasterer. He said: "I had always wanted to be in care - even when I was a plasterer. I looked after my father and my father-in-law and then decided to get into care. I think all of these people deserve our time and effort.
"A lot of my time is now spent working on things they might look at for ten seconds, but it's all about the look on their face when they do. It's just finding anything I can for an idea that someone might get some enjoyment from.
"It's all about making someone's life that bit more pleasurable, it's all about the fleeting moments that touch your heart. It's about going the extra mile. You have to think outside of the box when you're working with people with dementia."
Steve explained that after suffering his own loss last year, Christmas 2022 at Appleby had been especially important to him. He said: "I put my heart and soul into it, we could have the relatives back in again and that was amazing. But it doesn't matter how many years you are here, we have to treat every year as if it's the last.
"You have to be a particular kind of person to work in care - but it's incredibly rewarding, seeing those looks on the faces of the people you work with."
Killingworth's Laura Willis, 27, is a senior carer at the home. She spoke similarly of how working in care was a unique career.
She said: "I got into care about eight years ago. I originally worked in a beauty salon. That had been all I ever wanted to do, but I fancied a change. My nana had been quite poorly and I helped me mum look after her. That was the turning point for me."
Laura explained Covid-19 had been very difficult - the home had avoided infection for almost nine months until Christmas 2020, when a heartbreaking "domino effect" saw an outbreak hit. She said: "It was so so difficult. We had done so well for so long and then it hit us. It was incredibly tough."
As for what she would say to those considering a career in care, she added: "You have these really busy days, but the it's the interactions with residents when you are helping them that make this job for me. Even just seeing a smile and the littlest things are very satisfying.
"It's hard though, it can be really difficult. Especially when I first started I found things difficult but you gain the experience as you go along. Of course you know the basics about caring for someone, but it's only when you're actually doing it that you see the depth of it. But I always try to buddy up with new starters and help them through."
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