Staff Spotlight – Louise

My background is working as a PA/secretary in various industries including publishing, chemicals and medical equipment. My last office job was as Office Manager in a care home. In that role I much preferred spending time with and getting to know the lovely residents, rather than sitting in my office doing admin work. I then saw the Nannies4Grannies advert in the local magazine. I thought it sounded interesting so applied to be a nannie and was lucky enough to get taken on. That was over six years ago, and it has whizzed by!

What I love about my job is the variety of people I get to meet and knowing that I am helping them (in a small way) to maintain their independence. Whether it is keeping someone company who is less able to go out than they once were, more practical help like cooking a meal or taking to appointments, or just going out to have some fun. My admin skills have occasionally come in useful too!

When I was first introduced to Mr and Mrs W, Mr W was recovering from a stroke and the couple were in need of some additional support for practical tasks like going shopping and attending appointments. They had both lost some independence when they gave up driving. I felt that we clicked from day 1. As I got to know this lovely couple better, we found we had some common interests such as crafting, art and nature and the companionship side of my visits became as important as the practical help I was able to offer.

Sadly, Mr W passed away just over a year ago. I continued my visits with Mrs W over that period, and I hope I was able to give her some comfort and support during that sad and difficult time. My visits with Mrs W have continued and I look forward to seeing her each week. We always have lots to catch up on and invariably find something to laugh about. I honestly feel this lovely lady has become a friend and I get as much, if not more, from our visits, than she does.

Working as a nannie is enjoyable and rewarding and I feel privileged to work within this wonderful, caring team.