Jamie urges men to sign up to become carers

JAMIE Hargraves from Aberdare is encouraging other men to sign up to become carers and break the stereotype that a position in care is more suited to women (October, 2017).

Nineteen-year-old Jamie currently works as a Care Support Worker at Abacare, which has offices in Rhondda Cynon Taf, and is a favourite among service users.

He said: “Many people believe that care work is more suited to women as they’re seen as the kinder and more caring gender, but I want to break this stereotype, as myself and men in general can be extremely kind and caring too.

“I want to encourage other men to consider taking up a position as a carer as it is an extremely fulfilling job and they can really help make a difference in their community by caring for the elderly and people with dementia and other life-limiting illnesses.

“By having male carers for male service users, we’re also helping to prevent many from being very lonely. Loneliness is a ‘silent epidemic’ among men in Britain, with more than one in three feeling lonely at least once a week according to the Jo Cox Commission on Loneliness.”

Abacare operates a professional Care Management Team that is committed to providing high quality care to individuals in their own homes.

The large team of trained, specialist, care workers provide positive based outcomes and person centred care to people throughout Wales.

Sarah Williams, Registered Manager at Abacare, said: “We are thrilled that Jamie is helping to encourage other men to become carers.

“He is one of just a handful of male carers in an industry dominated by women. He undertakes exactly the same tasks as his female colleagues and doesn’t find any discrimination in the workplace even though he is in the minority.

“Jamie has proven to be an excellent carer who goes above and beyond for his service users. No job is too big for him. He offers to work extra to accommodate his client’s needs and feeds back any concerns to us.

“All of the service users love him and ask for him as their regular carer. Even though Jamie is only 19, the maturity and dedication he shows is commendable and he is an asset to the team.

“One client in particular is a gentleman who receives one visit a week from Jamie to allow his wife to go out. His wife has called us on more than one occasion to tell me how amazing Jamie is and how much of a difference he has made to her husband’s mental and emotional well-being. She stated: “Jamie is a breath of fresh air” and her husband’s spirits are always lifted after Jamie’s visit.”