Before moving to Ireland, I worked as a physiotherapist in Germany, both in a nursing home and a private home. In these 4 years I've worked with and looked after elderly that are still fully fit and just needed a hand here and there, a companion to talk or help to get fit again after a surgery but also those with conditions like Parkinson's, Dementia etc. While the care is obviously somewhat different with each person, the main focus for me is to keep the elderly person as involved as possible. It's often hard enough to accept help, but help is the right word - if possible helping to keep some independence up. Helping to stay mobile and active, go for a walk or getting to cook a meal, without the danger of forgetting to turn of the hob. My favourite memory is a Parkinson's couple I cared for in their own home for 10 hours a week. While the husband needed care in bed, we were trying to keep the wife mobile. To involve both, I turned on Frank Sinatra, as the wife told me that was their favourite music. We slowly danced and got the hips moving, and the smile on the wife's face I will never forget. I hope to have any elderly I'm working with smiling a little bit more than before I come on that day.