https://reasonstobecheerful.world/seniors-helping-seniors-care-work/
"Retiring by the age of 54 was not in Denys Andrianjafy’s original life plan.
But after a series of strokes triggered ongoing health issues, including
temporary blindness, nerve pain, severe headaches and high blood pressure,
Andrianjafy was forced to take early retirement in December 2024 from the
digital communications career he’d worked so hard to build.
Yet within a month of officially leaving full-time work, it was clear that
Andrianjafy needed to find something else on which to focus his energy and
attention.
“There’s only so much you can do to distract yourself — walking the dog,
playing bad golf, ignoring the list of chores at home,” says Andrianjafy, now
55, who’s based in Kent, U.K.
He initially looked at volunteering positions that he could manage around his
conditions, for which he takes numerous medications. Then, a friend working at
home care company Seniors Helping Seniors UK (SHS) suggested he apply for a
role. The company specializes in hiring people over 50 to provide in-home care
for its clients.
After completing the required training, Andrianjafy officially joined SHS’s
Canterbury and Thanet branch in January 2025. As a companion carer, his main
task is to provide a social outlet for his clients — whether it’s playing a
board game, taking a walk or visiting a cafe. (“Carer” is the term used in the
U.K.; such workers are more commonly called “caregivers” in the U.S.)
He works around 18 hours a week spread across seven clients, with visits
lasting between one and three hours.
“It’s something that makes them feel they’ve got some choice in their lives —
that they’re not just stuck in an armchair,” he says. “But what makes me feel
great is that I can work again. I’m doing something positive, and I’m not
running myself into the ground doing it. I’m looked after. I can control the
hours I work, and I really enjoy it.”"
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
