Why Helen Came Back to Consultus

After more than 20 years as a Consultus carer, Helen has cared for countless clients, heard extraordinary life stories and experienced many changes within the care sector.

But after deciding to try something different, she discovered that sometimes you have to leave something behind to realise quite how much you value it.

An unexpected career in care

Helen’s journey into care began with a very personal experience. When her mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, Helen left her career in IT to care for her at home.

Years later, having returned to IT and financial services, she found herself looking for a change.

“I was getting bored with the kind of work that I was doing. I wanted to do something different,” she recalls.

Then Helen came across an advert for Consultus. She attended an interview and things moved rather quickly.

“I went home to my husband and said, ‘I’m fine. I got the job.’ He asked, ‘When do you start?’ I said, ‘Tomorrow!’”

More than two decades later, Helen is still caring.

Consultus Carer Shirley, Helen and Lynda during Lockdown caring for their Client Mrs S

“Everyone’s got a story”

One of the things Helen quickly came to love about live-in care was getting to know the people she supported.

Over the years, she has cared for people from a generation whose lives were shaped by extraordinary events, including the Second World War. She has heard their memories, looked through family photographs and learnt about lives very different from her own.

“Everyone I met had a very interesting, different story. Everyone’s got a story, haven’t they?”

Those years have also shaped Helen’s approach to caring. Her philosophy is simply about “going with their flow”.

“What is important for one person might not be important for another person. So it’s working out where they’re at. What do they want? What do they want to do? And sort of going with that.”

She sums it up even more simply:

“You’re in their home. They’re not in yours.”

For Helen, helping someone retain their independence and sense of control is fundamental.

“They do like to feel, quite rightly, that they have some control. No one wants to feel like they’ve lost their control.”

Helen, Loic (Mr S's French butler) and another Consultus Carer Ute

Trying something different

After more than 20 years with Consultus, Helen began considering semi-retirement. She wasn’t ready to stop working completely, but wanted something closer to home that would allow her to work fewer days.

So she decided to try another care agency.

The agency primarily provided hourly care alongside some live-in placements, and Helen quickly realised how different the two models were.

“There’s a big difference between somebody going in for an hour or two a day and somebody moving into somebody’s home.”

Her first live-in placement highlighted that difference immediately.

Although the clients themselves were lovely, Helen found the home wasn’t properly prepared for a live-in carer. There was little space for her belongings and she felt the practicalities of someone actually living in the property hadn’t been considered.

“It was so bad I just thought, ‘I can’t sleep here tonight.’”

For Helen, it highlighted the importance of an agency truly understanding what live-in care involves.

“They weren’t really set up for it.”

Helen with Mrs W at family Pheasant shoot

Coming home to Consultus

It wasn’t long before Helen knew she wanted to return.

“I just felt straight away, ‘I just want to go back to Consultus. I want to go back to normal. I want to go home.’”

Her experience elsewhere gave her a renewed appreciation for some of the things she had perhaps taken for granted.

“Consultus has built up that experience. They’ve specialised in live-in care. That’s what they do.”

Having been with Consultus for more than 20 years, Helen has also seen how the training and support available to carers has developed. She particularly values the practical training carers receive, helping them understand what they can safely do and giving them greater confidence when they go out to a placement.

“In the early days, you were just in the dark. You were just doing what you thought was best.”

Today, carers have far more guidance, practical training and support behind them. For Helen, knowing that support continues once she is with a client is equally important.

“If there is a problem, I also know I’ll talk to the consultants and they’ll do everything they can to sort it out. And they do sort it out.”

She also values the relationship she has built with the Consultus consultants. After so many years in live-in care, Helen knows the type of placements that work well for her and appreciates being able to discuss these with the team.

“I’ve always felt the consultants have accommodated me.”

Helen with her client Mr W

The grass isn’t always greener

Helen doesn’t regret trying something different. In fact, the experience gave her a useful perspective on what she values about Consultus.

“There are some very good care agencies out there. There are. But I don’t think they all have what Consultus has built up over such a long time.”

Her conclusion is simple.

“The grass isn’t always greener.”

After more than two decades in live-in care, would Helen recommend the career to someone else?

“Go for it. Absolutely go for it.”

And her advice to someone considering Consultus?

“If you’re serious about it, if you think that’s what you’re going to do, go there.”

After more than 20 years and a brief experience of life somewhere else, Helen knows exactly where she wants to be.