Debt and Caring

Cherryfudge

Working with people always throws something interesting up!

I think that's a great phrase about booked shifts shrinking your week down to nothing... so true. However, as you get more in the swing of it, the shifts may not have such a big impact.

I am feeling unsettled that one of my current jobs emphasises finishing a bit before the end of the shift - not 'doing everything before the end of the shift' but standing there with your coat on ready to go regardless of how good a job you feel you've done, or otherwise. Everyone leaves by eight! It's to do with the supervisor being able to check security etc., I think. However, I've occasionally done shifts in previous places where I've done many hours over what was due - that's not uncommon in care. Night shift doesn't turn up, or there's an incident to deal with, notes to be written up or simply jobs still need to be done.

Perhaps schedule yourself days off to help counterbalance the shifts? And if you want any of the training you aren't getting, pm me and I'll see what I can find online.

savingholmes

Hope things settle for you soon. It sounds like it will take a while though with the drama of little ones illnesses and dramas in your new day job.

WelshmansDaughter

Funny you should say that Cherry, I had one day off where I just spent the majority of it in bed with books and TV and that did wonders for my motivation the next day. It also really helped with my perspective and not viewing things as bigger than they are. So guess what I am doing today? 
Sadly I have run out of episodes of real gardens. 
I have booked 2 shifts for next week and will be working on trying to get things done without putting pressure on myself. I have found that I am exhausted when leaving but not unhappily so. Its definitely not a job where I'm twiddling my thumbs all day which is good.
I am closing my claim for Universal Credit as I have found that it is very demotivating. It's too easy to fall back on it and say well I have some money coming in. But I'm quite stuck- it doesn't provide enough to live on and you can't earn enough while on it to stabilise your finances so it is fairly pointless really.

savingholmes

Hope you manage to find a more stable footing soon. Meanwhile - have you explored tiny homes on utube. I love watching those... 

Cherryfudge

savingholmes said:

Hope you manage to find a more stable footing soon. Meanwhile - have you explored tiny homes on utube. I love watching those... 

I love tiny homes!

WelshmansDaughter

I do indeed love tiny houses- I mostly watch the Living Big In A Tiny House channel. There is a series on Netflix that I watched as well, can't recall the name though. 
I have been watching C4 house programmes in lieu of doing any actual work on my own flat. It is slightly annoying. I had planned to go today but ended up staying on longer watching Very Small One. He is delightful and quite frankly, it means I avoided making decisions on my own behalf again which was a winner. I ended up at the library picking up a reserved book- something that actually was on my to do list. 

WelshmansDaughter

Starting work has been a whirlwind of mad, bad and sad. I understand that care is limited by the practical realities of no money and no staff. But I don't like it. I don't think I will learn many new skills in this place which is a shame. I've spent thirteen years on and off learning about dementia care and now I have been demoted to old people wrangler. 
On a more money related level- there is no way it is a good idea to work full time. An early shift starts at 7.30 which means a 5 am start. I then sleep like a baby before it i.e. take ages to get to sleep then wake up for no good reason. A late shift means home after 11 and wired til the early hours. It's tough on the body but my mind is definitely most affected. 

Cherryfudge

That late/early combination is ruination. If you get any choice, try to stick with whichever works slightly better for you. It doesn't sound like much of a place, which is really sad. Do they have sleep in staff, or is it all waking nights? Some people cope okay with sleep ins, though it depends how likely you are to get woken.

LadyWithAPlan

Popping in to say hi and hope you can get into a routine that works for you.. work and health wise

savingholmes

Sorry it's rough.