Personal Care Assistant 1 day/week @ £15/hour – North West London - London - NW2
Personal Care Assistant 1 day/week @ £15/hour – North West London - London - NW2 <div>We are seeking a companion / personal care assistant for Andrew, 74-year-old man with frontotemporal dementia behavioural variant. We are based in North West London, zone 2. Monday or Thursday for 6 hours from 10am - 4pm.<br><br></div><div>This role is to accompany him out of the house on walks (max. 1 hour) and excursions such as free museum guided tours or going to the cinema. When at home have 1 on 1 conversations, do crosswords, look at old photographs, and listen to music.<br><br></div><div>He does not require help in feeding or bathing but may need some gentle prompting about personal hygiene. He can cook himself a simple meal without supervision. He requires companionship and someone to provide confidence and gentle guidance during an excursion.<br><br></div><div>The ideal candidate will be patient and kind, willing to adapt to his wishes and engage him in the present activity. French or Italian speakers is a desirable attribute, but not a requirement.<br><br></div><div> Andrew’s condition presents as reduced social interaction and difficulty in social gatherings, fixation on routine and verbal repetition (Same Story Syndrome). He has reduced interest in daily activities and very rarely an outburst of anger or frustration. His long-term memory is mostly unaffected, but he will sometimes struggle with detail – he diligently notes down his daily activities to aid himself.<br><br></div><div>A challenging aspect of this condition is that denial is a common symptom. Andrew says vehemently he does not have Dementia or Alzheimer's disease. Instead, it is referred to as his “memory problems” or “mobility issues” which he is happy with.<br><br></div><div>He has been losing confidence in going out alone, especially after having a few minor falls which are more likely when tired. He walks with a walking stick but is unsteady. In a known environment or undertaking a journey he has done multiple times he is very capable but he becomes confused and fearful in an unfamiliar place.<br><br></div><div>In his younger days he was a highly intelligent accountant and school bursar with a gift for languages and wicked sense of humour. He took beautiful photographs and loved nature particularly butterflies, birds and flowers. <br><br>We will be shortlisting candidates and conducting interviews in Mid-November.</div>
