My first experience of care for the elderly comes from my upbringing because my mother opened and ran a retirement home in Scotland. She bought an abandoned mansion house in the country and we spent all our time preparing that building for business, it was a real family affair. My summer holidays consisted of sanding wood, painting fences and pulling weeds in an enormous garden. When the business opened it was a roaring success and ran at full capacity. During these years we combined our lives with those of the residents in the home. Nurses, cooks, gardeners and visitors were all a normal part of my childhood. I formed close bonds with some of the residents and felt the love and the loss that came with this environment. Care for the elderly is certainly familiar ground.

In 2020 I worked with a gentleman with dementia in Tuscany, Italy. This was a live in job and my duties involved stimulating the gentleman through exercise and cognitive lessons that I created for him. References can be provided by the family.

During my life I have had various projects and will speak of some that I see as pertinent to this application. In Milan I ran my own business for a number of years selling and teaching English courses to companies in and around Lombardia. In Italy I have a network of friends and I am familiar with, and in love with, the culture. My two daughters live in Bologna and I have a natural desire to be located back in Italy or close by.

I teach at a Swiss International school in Lugano for ten years now. This is not the only place I have taught, but I mention Switzerland because it is a country that I love too. Other countries I taught in include Turkey, Nicaragua, Italy and Scotland. The reason I mention this is because I associate teaching children with looking after elderly people. There is a level of nurturing needed that is more of a calling than something you are taught on a course. Whilst teaching I worked with pupils who had various special needs including autism, physical disabilities and behavioural challenges.
In France I lived and worked in a community for people with disabilities whom many were senior in years. This was a live-in job and covered many of the requirements listed in this job profile. The members of the community had various conditions including both physical and mental special needs.
This job required me to be available from morning to night six days a week. I believe this experience to be one of the most beautiful in my life.
In Costa Rica I had an experience volunteering at a Drug and Alcohol recovery rehab facility in San Jose city. This experience gave me further insight into the mental challenges people face and the way the rehab tried to find different strategies for the client to face their difficulties. I am sure that the elderly face many hurdles in life that come with age, and this could affect their mood. I mention this experience because it taught me that there are different life style changes available to people that can change their perception of a seemingly hopeless situation.
To speak of myself, someone who would essentially be entrusted with the wellbeing of a loved one I can say I am known as an honest, kind, empathetic, charismatic and educated man. I am dedicated, dependable and loyal, ready to learn new skills and open and willing to take on suggestions. At this time in my life I have the desire to try something new and be in an environment where I can be of service. Most of my life I have been involved with jobs and hobbies which involved helping other people whether it was coaching inner city children rugby in Milan or volunteering in Central America, the power of giving has always kept me on the right path.
If I were to look after an elderly gentleman I believe he would be in good, kind hands.