New source of income for active pensioners… working in care sector

If you told Judi Waymouth 20 years ago that she would spend her 70s and 80s as a professional caregiver, she would have laughed. The elegant former model, antique dealer, and real estate agent envisioned her retirement as a time of leisure, perhaps working a day or two a week in a fine boutique.

But here she is on her third care visit of the day, impeccably dressed in a gray leather skirt and with perfectly manicured coral nails, pouring a glass of Pimm’s for her 92-year-old client Dodie.

Judi wouldn’t have it any other way. Now 79, she joined the caring profession eight years ago and hasn’t looked back. Later during her visit, she rustles up some food for Dodie, then helps her into a fresh nightgown and tucks her into bed.

Dodie is delighted. “Judi is like a breath of fresh air,” she beams. “She takes such good care of me and I’d love to hear what she’s been up to,” she says with a twinkle in her eye.

What’s equally obvious is how much Judi is enjoying herself. “There’s nothing like going home at night knowing you left someone happy, safe, clean, and fed,” she says. “My son sometimes asks when I will retire. I say, I give up if I’ve woken up two mornings in a row and thought, “Oh no, I have to go to work.” It hasn’t happened yet.’

Judi works part-time, visiting clients such as Dodie who live near her home in Budleigh Salterton, East Devon. At first, Judi’s friends were surprised; now some are applying to become carers themselves.

Recruitment in the country’s social care sector is in crisis. There are 165,000 vacancies and more than one in ten vacancies are unfilled and this could increase without new funding and policy making. Due to the aging population, the need for care is also increasing.

A small but growing number of older healthcare professionals like Judi are stepping into the breach. Many have had long, successful careers in something completely different. They now bring their life experiences, camaraderie and kindness to support elderly people in need.

Four Seasons Health Care, a care home provider, says it has seen a large increase in over-70s applying for positions over the past two years. They now make up one percent of the national workforce.

Martin Jones, CEO of Home In Place UK care agency, says: ‘Some of our carers are older than clients. We have an 83-year-old looking after a 69-year-old.’

Mark and Vanessa McGlade, who run Home Instead Exeter & East Devon, employ several healthcare professionals above state pension age, including Judi. Mark says: ‘Many older clients are lonely and look forward to a visit from a healthcare professional. It gives them a reason to get up in the morning. But if you speak to many of our aged care professionals, they say much the same thing.

“They have a calling that allows them to make a difference — and they feel a sense of purpose when they wake up each day.”

Healthcare professionals of all ages bring something special with them during their visit. Vanessa says younger carers are more likely to be excited about technology and will help clients make video calls with family members or use their smartphones and iPads.

Older carers bring with them a special kind of kinship. Vanessa says, “Since they’re from a similar generation, for example, they know how to cook food that their customers like.” As the cost of living rises, more seniors are having to work into their late 60s – or back to work – to make ends meet. More than half of people over 55 plan to continue working past state pension age because their pension will be insufficient to live on, a Canada Life survey found. Almost a fifth say they are not financially prepared for retirement.

Earlier this year, the government announced £22 million in funding to support the return of over-55s to the labor market. While some older workers can continue or resume their current occupation, others are looking for alternatives. For some, caring is a rewarding option.

Some older workers choose to become caregivers even if they have no financial need.

Joe Grimes, 71, from Middlesbrough, retired six years ago after a long career in construction. He says, “Within three months I was bored. Someone suggested I become a carer and I thought it wasn’t for me, but I decided to give it a try anyway.’

He hasn’t looked back since then. Joe says, “I’m not a spring hen, but I like helping people more vulnerable than myself. I wish I had known about healthcare as a profession sooner.’ When I speak to Joe, he’s with client Neville, 87, who has just polished off a delicious breakfast Joe made for him. ‘It’s like having my own butler’, says Marcel delighted.

Worrying is not just about making cups of tea and having nice chats. Healthcare professionals assist clients with personal care, including washing and toileting.

Joe and Judi say it’s a natural part of caring, but not everyone will feel comfortable performing such tasks. Joe and Judi also work for an agency – Home Instead UK – that doesn’t arrange visits for less than an hour. That allows them to get to know customers and provide companionship. Yet the average UK care visit lasts just 18 minutes, so many healthcare professionals are unable to forge such close bonds.

Vivienne Dean, 71, from Sidmouth, Devon, knows all too well the difference in care experiences. She was a nurse before entering care in her mid-sixties.

She says, “Now I visit clients at their homes, I have time to get to know them and make friends instead of being rushed around the ward as I sometimes was.”

Vivienne appreciates the flexibility that care offers her. “For the first time in my life, my work fits my family and not the other way around,” she says.

The UK is facing a loneliness epidemic with the elderly particularly vulnerable to social isolation. As many as 1.4 million elderly people are often lonely, according to the Age UK charity.

Jane Lancett, 72, from Hereford, became a healthcare professional five years ago and loves the company she brings to clients. She says, “I have learned that there are many desperately lonely people in this country.

‘Customers are so happy when you catch up. What I realized is that if I hadn’t done this, I would have become a lonely person myself. I need people and I get that in this job. I’m making five visits today.’

Back at Dodie’s, Judi is eager to recommend careers in healthcare to older workers, but she’s not surprised more people haven’t tried it.

She says, “I walked past the office of the health care agency twice before finding the confidence to go in and ask about a job. I didn’t know if it would take someone in their 70s and I didn’t know if it would suit me.”

The images of healthcare professionals on TV don’t help, she adds. ‘It’s always people who are younger, who look rushed and exhausted – and usually dressed in ill-fitting uniforms. We have to change that.’