BY DOMINIC WIGHTMAN
Back in January, I found myself on a train with a Polish carer who was working in the UK and I wrote about the experience here. She highlighted the negatives of working in a care home – the daily violence and abuse she experienced from residents, the low pay and the long hours. Her story surprised me. Like everyone else I’d heard plenty of stories in the news of carers abusing patients but little of the flipside.
Last week I was beach fishing in the glorious sunshine and noticed that all bar one of the anglers beside me on the beach were Filipinos. They were part of the same group, sharing fishing gear, snacks and beer.
The man among them who was not Filipino turned out to be Tunisian. I learnt later that all the men were having a day off from working as carers in a nearby residential care home.
We began talking fishing after I landed a decent catch. They approached me asking questions. As we talked, inevitably we discussed Boracay, San Migs and Bongbong – I know their beautiful country well – then the topic of work cropped up and I mentioned my encounter with the Polish carer with whom they seemed to genuinely empathise. This prompted a few stories from them about their shocking experiences working as carers and the daily abuse they had come to take for granted.
Life as a carer in these care homes in 2023 is definitely an uphill challenge.
The Tunisian, who seemed less interested in fishing, talked of the overt racism he experienced daily. How he was often referred to as a ‘terrorist’ or ‘Al Qaeda’ by some of the residents. How the Care Quality Commission was informed by other carers with fabricated stories when they did not like the foreigners taking up staff roles or getting promoted ahead of them. He’d been accused of being a thief, of abusing residents and one resident’s daughter had reported him – so he said – when he’d refused to go out with her.
The Tunisian – let’s call him Karim – explained how one resident dialled 999 and got the police to visit their care home because of him.
The Filipinos started chuckling…
Apparently, a police officer showed up at the care home one afternoon and asked to see Karim. He told Karim that he had been reported by a resident for shouting at another resident called Alfred. The informer reported that this was not the first time and that Alfred seemed very perturbed. The police officer insisted on seeing Alfred to hear his side of the story first.
Karim escorted the police officer to Alfred’s room. They were accompanied by the care home’s day manager.
Once at Alfred’s bedside, Karim asked the police officer to introduce himself to Alfred who seemed somewhat distant and in a daze.
“Hello Alfred,” the police officer said.
Nothing.
“Speak a bit louder,” Karim urged.
“Hello Alfred,” the police officer tried again with the volume up.
Nothing.
“Try a bit louder,” said Karim.
“HELLO Alfred,” the police officer uttered loud and clear.
Alfred was with the fairies.
“Try a bit louder still,” said Karim.
“HELLO ALFRED,” the police officer bellowed.
Alfred stirred.
The resident in the room opposite peered through to see what all the noise was about and tut-tutted.
“Hello Sir,” Alfred replied in a gentle, elderly voice. “And hello my dear friend Karim. How are you today? Have you seen my pony?”
The police officer stayed for a cuppa and left soon after.
Dominic Wightman is Editor of Country Squire Magazine and will celebrate a decade of editorship – with a cigar – in 2026.