"You're wasting my life!"

Sometimes I really wonder where my care agency find the people it sends to me.

My sister frequently tells me to hurry up (and occasionally shut up)because I am "wasting her life". It's not really a phrase I use but I was tempted to when it came to my new carer tonight.

So somehow the conversation got onto the fact that she prefers to be known as a support worker not carer and that my agency refers to the people receiving care as clients.

Personally I tend to use the term carers, occasionally support workers. I don't like my carers being referred to as "looking after me" or any similar type things. I look after myself, they just support me with things I find difficult or which I can't do.

And I'm not a service user, I am client. Don't really know why I don't like "service user" but I don't. I suppose the only good thing about it is that it's better than "patient".

Anyway.

So this new carer type woman was wittering on about terms that are used to describe the clients and the carers.

She is a support worker, not a carer. And she has "people who employ her." not "clients."

Because whenever anyone talks about "clients" it makes her feel like they think she is some sort of "lady of the night" to use her words.

Didn't really know what to say to that but oh my god did I wish she'd shut up!!!