Lakeside has been invaluable for me
Ella aged 15 from The Dean Trust Wigan came to complete one week’s work experience at Lakeside Care Home as part of her Health and Social Care course.
Coming to the end of year 10, Ella was keen to experience the care sector, and after speaking to her Grandmother, and Kitchen Assistant Alison McGrath, it was clear Lakeside offered the perfect opportunity.
Without any persuasion or hesitation, Ella got stuck in many areas of the home. Ella discovered that she loved baking the most and enjoyed painting residents’ nails. She even managed to bake Ken Sumner’s birthday cake which made his day!
One resident built a strong relationship with Ella, Rita. Rita loved the energy Ella brought to the home and enjoyed sharing stories about her childhood.
“From this experience, I’ve learnt how funny the elderly are. I’ve loved sharing stories and learning all about their pasts; this has been great for me!”
As a result, Ella has decided one week just wasn’t enough! She’s committed to supporting the home on a voluntary basis.
“It was a pleasure to meet Ella. It’s fantastic to see the connections she’s built in the home and the residents love to meet the youth of today.
“We have an open-door policy to people wanting to learn about the care sector and kill the stigma of institutionalised settings in care homes.
“We’re so thankful to students and volunteers like Ella for considering Lakeside as a place that can offer invaluable experience to help them develop professionally. It’s great.”
For more information on Lakeside Care Home, please click here.
