A Day in the Life #3 – Millie’s story

For the third of our Day in the Life series I interviewed Millie, who works at Bayswood Care’s Dane View Care Home with Nursing in Leicester. Millie recently finished her A Levels and has applied to do Law at University. Like many students Millie’s age, she works during the holidays to pay her way and afford some of the nicer things in life. Most students tend to work in bars and shops, but Millie prefers to do work that is ‘more useful’, as she puts it.

Millie’s mum, Debbie, is already a full-time employee at Dane View, and two years ago Millie accepted a Saturday job on the domestic team at Dane View following a stint of voluntary work during Lockdown. On the surface, carrying out housekeeping duties, cleaning rooms and corridors, may not seem that appealing. Millie, however, loves the interaction with residents.

‘I naturally get to know residents,’ she says, ‘and when I go into their rooms, we’ll have a little chat. It makes me feel more comfortable around them and visa-versa. It’s another small thing that helps break up their day and it’s lovely that the ones who can remember conversations ask where I am. I have built up some lovely friendships, such as with Joyce. We share a lot in common and she is proud to tell me about the family on photographs in her room, and about the holidays she’s been on.’

‘Joyce is like me, she doesn’t shut up,’ Millie jokes.

There are so many lovely comments made about Millie by residents and other staff, that I ask her if she realises what a difference she makes. The question slightly embarrasses Millie, and she struggles to answer. That’s the thing I find about Millie – she is self-effacing and seems slightly shy when having to talk about her own achievements. Yet, talk to her about caring for the residents and her work at Dane View, and her passion and energy shines through.

I do wonder if some of Millie’s reticence to push herself into the limelight stems from the fact she was born without the lower part of her right arm. While it has never held Millie back physically, I wonder if it has fueled her desire to help others and maybe is a reason for her modesty. It’s a refreshing trait because paradoxically, Millie does not lack the confidence to express herself well.  

She breezes through all the domestic duties with ease, having learned to adapt to her disability over the years. And, within a few seconds of talking to Millie, its something that I forgot about. What shines through is her calm intelligence and engaging personality.

Before I met Millie, Dane View Manager, Rebecca, told me, ‘Millie is like a breath of fresh air. She lights up a room with her positivity and smile, which shines through even from behind the face masks we must wear.’

I think that is a great assessment and the only person, I suspect, who will struggle with that description, is Millie herself. I asked Millie to tell me more about the job and her answers always came back to the interaction she has with residents. She describes the friendships formed at Dane View as ‘rewarding’.

‘I’d say to other students looking for holiday jobs, you don’t get to know customers by working in a shop, like I get to know residents. I look forward to working at Dane View during the University vacations,’ Millie says.

Student cover during the University vacations is a win-win scenario for the student and Dane View. The vacations naturally occur when more staff put in holiday requests, so a trusted student worker like Millie is a great asset for the Home, covering Christmas, Easter and the summer breaks.

Millie wants to work in criminal law. While she is not sure if that will be as a defense or prosecution lawyer, she says, ‘I know I want to help people who can’t necessarily help themselves.’ It is a lovely comment to end with and sums up the essence of Millie perfectly.

We wish Millie all the best with her A Level results and University applications.

Interview by Kelly Farrington