Choice

Andrea is a fifteen-year-old student from England. Like most people her age, she is unsure of what to be when she grows up. Her cousin, Kevin, chose Healthcare, Childhood and Youth Development and is now a health worker. Andrea is leaning toward choosing this education programme, but she wants to know more about some of the possible professions she can choose.

The texts you are about to read are:

– a transcript of a conversation Andrea had with Kevin

– an opinion piece written by Kevin’s friend, Peter, who works in a kindergarten

– a Messenger dialogue between Andrea and Kevin’s girlfriend Melissa, who is an assistant occupational therapist a job description for the profession of medical orderly retirement home aldershjem/ aldersheim caregiver pleier/pleiar drawback ulempe, mangel thorough nøye ageing aldring

While reading the texts, consider what they say about the positive and negative aspects of these professions.

ANDREA: What exactly is your job, Kev?

KEVIN: I’m a health worker at a retirement home. I’ve been there for almost three years now.

ANDREA: Do you like it? What is it you do?

KEVIN: Honestly, I love it! I help elderly people with their daily routines, but it’s very different what they need help with. Some people need help taking a shower or brushing their teeth, while others need help during meals. So I have a real influence on their quality of life.

ANDREA: What you do is important then?

KEVIN: Yes, I think so! It’s no secret that many old people feel lonely. They aren’t able to move around as freely as before, and many have lost their life partners. The time they spend with us, their caregivers, is very important to make them less lonely.

ANDREA: Isn’t it a little boring to talk to old people all day?

KEVIN: No, that’s actually what many of us say is the best thing about the job. Most elderly people have lived full and fascinating lives. They have so much knowledge and lots of interesting stories to share. Unfortunately, one of the major drawbacks of the job is that we haven’t got time to listen to everything they want or need to share with us. There are many residents to take care of and long “to do” lists that we need to complete. Still, I try to make sure they understand that I enjoy listening to their stories.

ANDREA: Do you ever not like your job?

KEVIN: Not really, but some days are very hectic, and I don’t have time to do everything as thoroughly as I would have wanted. On the bright side, this makes no two days exactly the same. I really like this variation because I’m never bored.

ANDREA: You have to be around many people all day – does that lead to any challenges?

KEVIN: Well, some people can be difficult, but my job is to build relationships with the residents. I’ve found that there’s always a reason why someone is acting the way they are, so I make sure to try to really get to know the people I work with. I think working closely with elderly people has given me valuable insight into the ageing process and what’s to come. It has given me the opportunity to think about what really matters in life.

ANDREA: What do you mean?

KEVIN: Well, I used to focus on everything I wanted to buy, like a fancy house and an expensive car, but now I am more concerned with building relationships with people and having interesting experiences to look back on.

Understand

a What does Kevin like about being a health worker?

b According to Kevin, what can be challenging about being a health worker?