During the Covid-19 pandemic, we spoke to one of our carers Catherine, about how she is coping. Catherine has been a carer for over 20 years. She has predominantly worked in complex care.

Now, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, she has had to “raise the hygiene level 10 notches up because this is a virus that we don’t understand”, she said. “We have to be very aware of our patients and their needs. We have to use every available means to keep our patients safe. It’s not just hand washing. It is sterilising everything we’re using, from door handles to the lavatory. Everything has to be pristine.”

We asked Catherine to offer a few words of advice to her fellow carers who are on the frontline battling the coronavirus. It feels as if she is speaking for the whole care community, as she never says “I”. Instead, she always uses the word “we”.

”In the protection of the individual that you are caring for, no matter how old they are, one has to be ultra-cautious. I’m using that word very openly because we have to be very, very aware of the situation we’re in.”

“We have to protect ourselves in order to give care. We have to stay healthy. Nobody wants to have Covid-19.” She goes on to say that “care workers are very vulnerable, so we have to use everything at our disposal to make sure we are safe.”

She ended our chat by saying “I am also going to use the word ‘brave’ because sometimes we have to step out over the boundaries to really keep everyone safe. It’s a tough gig.”