Personal Care Assistant to assist a 56-year-old woman living in the Hamsterley DL13 area
We are seeking a caring, reliable, and patient Support Worker/Personal Care Assistant to assist a 56-year-old woman living with Huntington’s Disease, a rare and progressive neurodegenerative condition that affects movement, coordination, cognition, and mood. Our aim is to support her to live as independently and comfortably as possible at home. She has lived with Huntington’s for over 15 years and is in the middle stages of the condition. She remains positive and determined but now requires additional support with daily activities, mobility, and health needs.
Hours and Pay
* Hours: Approximately 37.5 hours per week, ideally spread across 4–5 days per week with occasional weekend or evening availability.
* Rate of Pay: £13 per hour.
* Start Date: As soon as possible.
Main Duties
* Assist with all aspects of day-to-day living while promoting independence, dignity, and emotional wellbeing.
* Provide personal care and assist with dressing, washing, and grooming.
* Support with feeding through a PEG tube (training provided if necessary but experience is advantageous).
* Prepare simple, nutritious meals in line with advice from dietitian and speech and language teams and assist with drinks.
* Drive the client’s wheelchair-accessible van to appointments, therapies, and social activities (full UK driving licence essential).
* Support with household tasks such as light cleaning, laundry, and meal preparation.
* Accompany and assist to medical appointments both at home and in hospital settings, including driving considerable distances to specialist hospital sites.
* Offer companionship, emotional support, manage sometimes challenging behaviour (due to disease progression), and encourage social engagement and activities that boost wellbeing.
* Support pain management and medication administration.
* Work collaboratively with family members and health professionals to ensure consistent, high-quality care.
Additional Requirements / Information
* Training: PEG feeding, moving and handling, and Huntington’s-specific training can be provided.
* Significant experience in a care setting is required, as the only carer supporting the client’s care when family are not home.
* Previous experience supporting people with Huntington’s Disease or neurological conditions is highly desirable.
* Understanding of mental health needs and cognitive changes is an advantage.
* Driving: Full, clean UK driving licence required. Must be confident driving a wheelchair-accessible vehicle.
* Environment: All care is provided within the client’s home environment. Must be comfortable with animals.
* Attributes: Compassionate, patient, reliable, respectful of privacy, maintains confidentiality and able to use initiative.
* Safeguarding: An Enhanced DBS check will be required (cost covered by employer).
* Right to work in the UK is necessary and sponsorship for a visa cannot be provided through this role.
Key Responsibilities
* Meal Preparation
* Personal Care
* Domestic Care
* Full UK driving licence
* Can drive a motability equipped car
* Safe Administration of Medication
Please apply by clicking above or at ukcil.com.
#J-18808-Ljbffr