The Kindness Of A Stranger

You never know what people struggle with and being a caregiver is not always providing personal care or helping clients at home — caregivers help with all sorts of tasks. We absolutely love this story from Anne K. about one of her experiences and how a little kindness from someone in the community helped a lot.

I struggle to get my client to the hairdressers — am usually met with a blank refusal. It takes all my skills of persuasion.

The week before she refused point-blank to go so I cancelled the appointment & made another which she promised to go to — by now it had been 5 weeks. The day came with the usual refusal. I told her I couldn't keep cancelling our appointments, so let's go for a drive & a walk & enjoy ourselves. On our way home we stopped outside the hairdressers a few minutes early for our appointment. It was pouring with rain — and she told me to keep going. Then she told me she would walk up tomorrow and tell them — I told her that was no good as the appointment was today. She then said I could go in and cancel it so I said 'you come with me.' I undid her seatbelt, got my umbrella and off we went.

Unfortunately, the hairdressers said they were running late, so my client took the opportunity to say 'let's go' — I gave her a big hug, thinking of some words to say. A lady with her hair half done stood up and said 'take my seat, I'm not in a hurry.' My client sat down and the hairdresser got on. The lady sat in the waiting area and told me how she had struggled with her own mother and understood.

What a difference to my day that kind gesture made.

— Anne K