Shropshire Star

Carers sought in mid Wales to help the vulnerable

Carers are being sought in Mid Wales.

Published
Jane Jones

People in Wales who are fit and well and have been made redundant from hospitality or retail, or whose business has closed due to the Coronavirus, are being urged to become a carer.

As COVID-19 cases rise in Wales, the country’s homecare service providers, who are at the frontline like other healthcare professions, are urgently seeking more staff to care for the vulnerable and elderly.

Jane Jones, branch manager at Abacare, which has offices in Newtown and provides care in the surrounding areas, said: “We’re expecting our teams who provide an invaluable service to the most vulnerable in our society, the mostly housebound in Wales, who can’t look after themselves for various reasons, to be stretched to the limit as the virus gathers pace.

“We’re urging anyone who needs work, those who have recently been made redundant or laid off to get in touch. There are lots of customer-facing roles such as those in hospitality and retail where people are currently unable to work, and we’d be very grateful if they helped swell our numbers as we face the impact of this virus head on together.

“There may also be fit and well people out there who are normally self-employed who can’t work at the moment due to the economic issues related to the crisis and as a result of social distancing rules, such as hairdressers and beauticians, or those whose work has greatly reduced. They can help us too, even if just on a flexible part-time basis while they keep their businesses ticking over.

“Our carers are frontline staff and while our teams are coping well at the moment, we’re bracing ourselves and we need more staff to urgently boost our numbers. Full training is given.

“Those we look after can’t care for themselves, so are a daily lifeline to them. They are scared and worried at the moment, as we live in uncertain times. They need physical and emotional care. Some are bedridden, some are physically frail and others suffer from dementia. We’re hoping local people and communities will come together and help us meet the challenges ahead.

“If you are fit and well and want to make a substantial difference to people’s lives at this acute time, we can train you quickly and enable you to help those who are vulnerable, who may not see a person other than their carer from one day to the next. We really need your help to add to the frontline workforce and ensure that the elderly in particular have help.

“Anyone interested can call the Newtown branch on 01686 625644. Our office team will be able to have a chat with you and they will be able to set up interviews via Skype or Facetime to talk you through everything."

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